How to Fight Social Media Trolls!
Brad Stine breaks down the psychology of social media trolls and how to fight them!
I have been doing comedy for 30 years now. I started out in what is affectionately known by comics as “hell gigs”. These usually amounted to local dive bars that thought an easy way to make money was to pick one night out of the week that was usually reserved for the local patrons to stab each other over a girl, bash each with a bottle over an insult or punch each other in the face over picking the wrong song on the jukebox, to have a comedy night.
That’s right they still had jukeboxes in these places because it was essential in order to maintain the carefully crafted fung shui ambience of these establishments that they permanently trap their patrons in the year 1978.
Though I have been doing comedy over 30 years, I only recently began to understand the necessity to utilize social media in order to make my material known to the general public. My daughter, God bless her, was the one to inform me of this new means of communication because to millenialls and below that is literally the only way they actually know how to communicate! They only know computers and phones. Archaic primitive tools like a pen or paper or a typewriter would be foreign and frightening to them and cause anxiety, nausea and diarrhea. Modern technology has made life so simple for these kids that if the Internet ever went down for even an hr, we would watch these otherwise healthy kids suddenly begin to slaughter and eat each other. It would make Lord of the flies seem like a bedtime story. Seriously kids 20 and younger have zero experience in problem solving. As a matter of fact if I was drowning and the only way to save me was for my daughter try to figure out how to read information from a book, my wake would be this Tuesday.
I knew she must be on to something when she came to me and asked when I started doing comedy? Apparently she stumbled upon one of my comedy bits, shared to her from a stranger’s instagram account, from a routine I did in 2002. There is nothing more disheartening to a baby boomer than to realize that after all these years the majority of Americans still have no idea who you are.
Gee thanks modern technology and I was just getting used to my flint tools!
But now that I have joined the modern age, it is hysterical to see what I’m up against. Not only can people watch your material for the first time but they can comment on it as well. Oh, what an uplifting society we have become huh folks. I don’t think I realized how many insults were available from all points of the globe! Sure I am making thousands of new fans, but for others apparently this is their nirvana! Finally people can hurl insults and malice towards others while safely hiding in their parents basement waiting for their allowance to be slipped under the door so they can buy a bag of industrial strength Cheetos and a couple cans of Monster energy drink and get to work demeaning people that have actually accomplished something!
Because my point of view comes from a Christian, conservative, patriot, worldview apparently I am the perfect candidate for what has come affectionately known as trolls.
My fans often ask me why I keep the troll commentary on my threads when some are so nasty and vicious? Well I have a couple reasons why I think everyone should leave troll comments on their feed. 1) If they are responding to me apparently I have hit a nerve. I’m scary to them and although in the past people like this would stay clear of people they disagree with because they were tired of being beat up in gym class, nowadays anyone can insult anyone w/o repercussions. Anyone that maligns another human being knowing that nothing can happen to them for their insults is obviously a coward. So why not leave their comments up as they are admitting to the world they are spineless. C’mon folks that’s the ultimate irony as they don’t see how stupid they appear. It’s like watching an Internet version of fight club while children that think they’re clever keep punching themselves in the face! Plus they seem to constantly confuse me with a news anchor as opposed to satire, comedy and of course, my own point of view.
They want to bring attention to themselves by getting on my site that actually has fans as opposed to their site which amounts to…oh, my bad they don’t have one! They hate me but need my career to feel like they have worth.
Dude, if you need me to feel significant may I suggest you try another avenue?
I’m still working out my own salvation with fear and trembling I don’t have time to be responsible for your insecurities! I have also come to realize that if you stand for something, ANYTHING, without compromise you will be hated.
That never made sense to me – insulting people I disagree with. When I see or hear someone I don’t agree with I just move on. That used to be called live and let live. It actually made for a civil society.
Nowadays it’s crucial for some people to make sure you know how much you hurt their feelings even when they chose to engage you!
Seriously? How badly have you not thought something through that you choose to engage in a dual and then whine because you got shot? Move on and create your own blog site, or Youtube channel or instagram page or whatever else flavor of the month pouty mouth pictorial your sending into the atmosphere seeking validation.
Of course I actually feel sorry for these folks. They know they are trolls and are proud of it. Forgetting the fact that trolls historically lived under bridges, were ugly and frightening and often had the townsfolk come after them with pitchforks and torches driving them into the next town where they could be despised yet again.
America, wouldn’t it be neat if we used our disagreements to seek some kind of dialogue? How about engaging those you disagree with actual facts and perspectives that might bring some light to a subject as opposed to heat? Or better yet, why not find someone you like and say nice things to them. Lord knows we could use some uplifting in an age of hopelessness brought on by the Post-truth philosophy.
So, if you want to comment on me feel free, but remember I’m a comedian! I’m taking liberties for the funny, but maybe, just maybe you could try to explore ideas you differ with me in a civil manner. If not.. it is a free country, for now.. so hate away at least if you don’t mind looking like an idiot, who am I too judge? This is God’sComic Brad Stine so remember PCFree is Liberty. Join us the new counter-culture won’t you?
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