Post 34: Trolls and Online Arguments

Anyone who has used a social networking site has most likely come across a troll at one time or another. I don't mean a cave-dwelling or big, ugly green guy from Harry Potter. I mean, someone who deliberately posts something dumb, offensive or argumentative in hopes of starting an argument.

I use quite a few social networking sites, but I think trolls are most easily found on Youtube. Go to any song's music video and scroll down to the comments. There is a 90% chance that someone has posted a comment about how much they hate the song or the artist.

Why? Because they want people to respond. They usually do, with "Well then you don't have to watch the video", "No, you suck", or what used to come up a lot was "you have no life if, if all you do is post on videos you don't like". Then the troll responds with some negative comment and an argument ensues. Usually, other people who look to the comments join in as well in defense of the fellow supporter.

However, they can be found on any site.

A lot of the ones that come up on Facebook, or sites that post "funny" (using the term loosely) pictures and videos. People make comments that are not always...respectable.

Two things that come up the most often are the "women belong in the kitchen where they make sandwiches for men" and "that is bad, feminine, sensitive, emotional, or dumb so therefore anyone in it and whoever made it is gay'. Another common one is the, "all men are horrible, they are selfish and they are jerks'. Of course, they aren't phrased like that. Except the last one, sometimes is.

I find it silly. And dumb.

The first one, about women belonging in the kitchen, these girls throw huge hissy fits about it, but you know what? If you find it so upsetting, here is what you should do. GET OFF FACEBOOK AND STUDY. Then go to school, excel and work hard. Become their boss or the doctor that one day will save their life. Arguing online will do nothing but waste your time.

Not to mention, most of the guys saying that don't actually believe that. They're only saying it to get a reaction.

To the second, well...I don't want to be the P.C. police (politically correct). It is derogatory to use gay as synonymous with bad, dumb, or effeminate. And I don't get how a man deciding he wants to wear pink makes him gay. I also think that comparing what counts as being attractive from two different cultures as if they were the same as being foolish. However, a lot of people have very strong views on the matter and will really fight back.

But, it is so frustrating for me. Because so many of the people who get upset have used 'gay' the same way. It is like Twilight, four years ago everyone was saying it was cool. I have two friends who had Twilight posters and wanted to marry the characters, but now they are all "Twilight is so lame. It is so bad. Twilight sucks."

So, it is like they aren't criticizing them for using gay too mean lame because it is offensive, they are criticizing them for using now that it is no longer acceptable.

The third just comes across as girls who were jaded by one guy and have decided that all men are exactly the same. The arguments in the comments is usually two-sided. Girls and guys on one sided, jaded girls on the other. It is just silly. And pointless.