Emmanuel Iheke

September 7th, 2018

What is a troll? It used to be just be Shrek. In fact, it used to be the little, hairy guy that lived under the bridge and gave Dora and Boots riddles. Now, anybody can be a troll. A troll is that leech in your instagram comments. Or should I say, a hater.

Trolls have become so prominent on social media that the act of being a troll has developed into its own name – “trolling”. Now don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about to be a whole editorial judging people who troll in comments. I think we can all testify to giggling at troll comments every now and then. Some people get so creative with their insults that you can’t help but laugh. I would go as far to say that a lot of people troll because they think their jokes are funny. Maybe a lot of them just want a few likes and replies to their statement for a dose of attention. And what could possibly go wrong with that?

Well…everything. It’s about time we bring more attention to its negative impact. There is a difference between being a comedian and being a troll, and the fine line must be recognize or there will be damages to pay. Whether we want to be funny, or we feel strong about a subject, I believe we should be more careful with what we say about others in comments and social media in general. There is something about social media that makes people feel like they can say anything they want and it have no real effect on anyone. But the fact of the matter is that words have an effect on one’s well-being – whether they be spoken in person or typed in the comments.

News flash: People actually read the comments! And as much as we all like to make our lives seem perfect on instagram, the person you’re trolling’s entire day could have taken a bad turn all because you felt like you just haaaad to remind them about their oversized ears. We bully, and bully and bully. Then we all are surprised when we hear about suicide and overdoses. What was a joke or just an act to get attention ended up convincing someone that their life was no longer worth living. Whether you like it or not, your words carry power. Like the Bible says, you have the power of life and death in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). You get to choose which power you use. If you really want to keep trolling, know that you are using the power of death (quite literally). I won’t judge you for doing so. I just want you to be aware.

I challenge everyone this week to only comment compliments on social media. No disses, no disrespect, no trolling. Let us know how it made you feel.