Walking the Fine Line Between Online Disagreement and Internet Trolling

One foot in 2022 and women are already being likened to parakeets.

It is new year’s day. 2022. I am watching an interesting YouTube series I’ve been looking forward to. Legs stretched out on the sofa, phone holder in place, earpiece plugged in.

A relaxing way to start the year. Until it wasn't.

The series has a character named Michael whose mouth is as leaky as a sieve. I am enjoying watching him fool himself. I make the unfortunate (or not) decision to look through the comments section.

Then, I am slapped in the face with the most ridiculous comment of 2022 yet.

Michael is like a woman, he doesn’t shut up

My first thoughts are to respond immediately. To respond with as much outrage as I feel. As much bile as the one that rose to my mouth.

How dare you, Hellen?

What sort of stupid comparison is this?

Why are you foolishly attacking women when the character is male?

Get a life!

All the above responses are valid. But, they put me in the same state of mind as the original commenter. Crazy.

… you can take a breath in conversation before responding. I find it useful as it allows me to resist the urge to say stupid crap to people I don’t know, especially when that crap is awash with microaggressions. — Laquesha Bailey

I take a deep breath. Several deep breaths. And compose a response that is as reprimanding as is logical. Not pointing fingers at any gender. Just stating the obvious which - disagrees with the entire premise of the comment, and is also enough to teach the commenter different than the gibberish they have spewed.

Here’s my response.

Hey, Hellen. That’s an irresponsible comparison. The movie character, Michael, is a man and doesn’t shut up. Has nothing to do with his gender or another.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a troll is a person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content.

BBC.co.uk defines trolls as people who leave intentionally provocative or offensive messages on the internet to get attention, cause trouble or upset someone.

As soon as I posted this, I wondered if people would consider me an internet troll. Well, I tick almost all the boxes.

Intentionally antagonizing the original commenter? Yes.

Could they consider my response inflammatory or offensive? Yes. Depends on who’s looking at it.

Leave intentionally provocative messages... to upset someone.

Am I automatically an internet troll?

Best believe that I definitely would not keep quiet when a swipe is being taken at women. Or any human being. For no reason.

Why would any person think that attacking a particular gender behind a set of keypads absolves the world from disagreeing with them? That their word is so authoritative and true that no one dares disagree? And when anyone stands out to disagree, it is termed trolling.

The above comment and my response are from November 2021.

After enjoying an interesting movie on YouTube, this commenter goes on to insult the actor with derogatory words that get my blood boiling.

Am I expected to scroll past when I see comments like these? So I do not hurt anyone’s fragile ego? Someone that is this vile as to comment on a fellow person's weight with disdain and in such distasteful words.

I call BS.

If openly disagreeing with insensitive or illogical online thoughts makes me an internet troll, SO BE IT!

Where do we draw the line in the sand? between disagreeing with opinions shared online and internet trolling?

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This story was first published here.