Trolling, Dragging and Cyber-bullying – real online threats
In a recent Huffington Post article the author says we shouldn’t blame celebrities for responding harshly to being ‘trolled, dragged or cyber-bullied’ on social media. The article also includes some pretty ‘hair-raising’ local celebrity real-life examples too. Creative Imagineering takes a closer look at the definition of these terms, where trolls lurk and how to deal with them.
Why trolls target Celebrities
Most celebrities are super-active on social media and many have a huge online presence and followings. This makes them 
extremely vulnerable to being bullied online. And after all they are only human in the way they react to being bullied or insulted.
Wikipedia defines ‘Trolling’ as: “Someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”
The Urban Dictionary defines: “Dragging” as being disrespected or humiliated on an internet forum.
Where and why do Trolls hang out?
Apparently, they are rife on YOUTube comments. Perhaps this is because there are some weird and wonderful videos out 
there. YOUTube is sometimes dubbed the ‘trailer park of the Internet’. Another common hang outs for trolls are on Instagram, likely because it is the next big visual site. Anonymous social sites are possibly the worst as the anonymity only encourages trolls even more, as they can hide out behind their computer screens without identity.
The existence of trolls begs the question – why? There are different reasons why some people feel the need to troll a community online. Most of them appear to be emotional reasons. They may be seeking attention, be depressed or jealous. Some of them are not even aware of the emotion influencing their negative online behaviour.
How to deal with Trolls?
Trolling makes cowardly people feel stronger and bigger than what they are. Insulting others makes them feel inflated. Their behaviour also has no consequences. The best way to deal with them is not to respond. No-one likes to be ignored. By 
ignoring them you are not ‘feeding’ their fragile ego and they don’t get the desired kick out of bullying.
Creative Imagineering are experts at social media management. We can manage and monitor community engagement on your social media platforms on your behalf. We’ll make sure there are no trolls disrupting your online community.