How to respond to online trolls

Detoxify social media — 10 responses for constructive online dialogue

“The rhetoric of assent is, at its best, a rhetoric of love, generating power beyond the wildest dreams of those who break the world apart to dominate it.” — Wayne C. Booth.

Inevitably, if you’re active online, you’ll encounter someone with harsh words directed at you because of a comment you posted or frankly for no reason at all. If you haven’t experienced this yet, you might be unusually insulated from typical online interactions or just lucky. Naturally, our initial reaction, in these cases, is often to defend ourselves against such attacks. However, it’s crucial to recognize that we all have a role in reducing the spread of online negativity. Personally, my initial strategy, when faced with online hostility, was to simply step back. Yet, I’ve recently realized the importance of addressing these situations constructively, to not be part of toxic social media culture but instead play my part in elevating the conversation. But let’s be real, who has the time to write responses in those times, not laden with emotion? So, channeling my love of language and tech, I turned to my dictation tool to vent, knowing full well it would need…