ABSTRACT
The use of social media appears to inevitably include the occasional experience of navigating comments of individuals who are unpleasant, rude, or just unacceptable. There may be instances where academics become the target of unkind, hurtful, and/or hateful comments. Some of us think of trolls as cute and laughable characters; however, social media “trolls” are neither. Trolls aim to inflict pain, ridicule, and humiliate others by making statements that are inflammatory and offensive. These comments are often personal, exaggerated, and aimed to invoke a response. Such vitriolic, caustic, and corrosive content may be characterized by meandering rants and character attacks, and at their worst trolls may invoke hate speech and/or make death threats. Understanding that it is not a question of “if” but rather “when” you will experience unpleasant or inappropriate comments when using social media is the first step towards preparing yourself. The second step is to review the information below so that you have both awareness and strategies to cope with these unsettling comments.
