Why some people choose to take on their Twitter trolls
For many groups, among them women, people of colour and the LGBTQ community, Twitter can be an endless sink of emotional energy.
In just one week, the Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones signed off after being subject to a deluge of abuse, and the platform's hand was forced when it came to Milo Yiannopoulos, conservative pundit and the pied piper of a thousand egg profiles, who was finally banned.
Twitter has an abuse problem -- one that has been documented over, and over, and over again. For years now, having an opinion on social media is to be forced to decide how much time and emotional space to give others.
You May Also Like
For those who live in those halcyon reaches of the internet where trolls rarely roam, it can be impressive but also bewildering to see others argue with, or call out their trolls. So why do they do it?
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Out of optimism
Australian writer, lawyer and strong opponent of Islamophobia, Mariam Veiszadeh is regularly part of the online conversation when it comes to politics and race. While she has been the subject of online threats that led to a Guildford woman being convicted of "using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend," she remains an optimist in her interactions on Twitter.
In an interview with the Online Identity Project, Veiszadeh said she valued social media for allowing her to speak directly with the public. However, as an Australian Muslim woman, the personal costs can be extreme -- and spill offline.
"The months of cyber bullying that I endured were incredibly harrowing – the impact extending to my family, friends and my work," she added. "It had a disabling effect on my life."
Nevertheless, she still believes in the ability of people to change, and that speaking with them online could tip the scales. "The reason I engage even sometimes with those who are unreasonable and bordering on abusive is I because I believe that people are inherently good and that sometimes, we can appeal to their humanity," she told Mashable Australia over email.
"No one is born a bigot, it is taught. It can therefore be untaught and the best way to do that is to extend a hand of friendship. In the end, what unites us is far greater than what divides us."
To spread a message of support
For Australian author Tara Moss, the abuse she has seen online has prompted her to share a message of self care.
Moss, who joined Twitter in 2009, said she did not begin to notice trolls until around 2011. "Interactions with trolls and with outright abuse began to feature more heavily from 2013, and has been more pronounced in recent years, particularly since 2014," she told Mashable Australia in an email.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
While she interacts predominantly with her readers on social media, she also engages at times with political and social issues. "The vast majority of online users I encounter are smart and thoughtful," she said.
"If someone genuinely wishes to debate a topic I will usually interact if I have the time ... Normally though, if someone presents themselves as a troll or abuser, I will ignore them, and block or ban."
Moss stressed that those receiving abuse online should protect themselves, above all. "On the occasions that I do chose to interact with trolls, it is for my own wellbeing. A person being attacked or abused online should first and foremost care for their own wellbeing, and for some people, in some instances, that may involve responding. I don't believe in silencing the targets of abuse."
Like Veiszadeh, what happens online cannot help but spill over into Moss' life offline, which makes looking after her own peace of mind and that of others even more vital. "All lived experiences are real life, and that includes the time we spend online, sending or receiving messages with other real human beings," she explained.
To change minds
Lawyer and refugee advocate Julian Burnside has been a regular on Twitter since 2010, and can often be seen wading into battle with those whose xenophobia has found an online outlet.
Dealing with hate and abuse is familiar to him, ever since he became outspoken on Australia's treatment of asylum seekers during the Tampa incident. In 2001, a Norwegian container ship named the Tampa picked up hundreds of asylum seekers who were attempting to reach Australia. The Australian Government refused to allow the boat to land.
"I used to get a lot of hate mail [and email], this is when I got involved with the asylum seeker issue, and I made a point of always answering them," he said. "Two things really struck me: One was how abusive people are at the outset, and the second was, as soon as I replied to them, they became polite."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The email effect has not entirely carried over to Twitter, however.
Burnside said he thought he had had "fewer converts on Twitter," perhaps because anonymity is so easy on social media and because 140 characters is not conducive to conversation.
"It's difficult, because you can't have an actual discussion ... whereas with email I'd be able to say 'look, I understand what you're saying but this, this and this, and here are a bunch of facts,'" he added.
Burnside acknowledged that a lot of people, and especially women, deal with torrents of abuse on Twitter he doesn't always see himself. "The only time I've had to think about my safety is at the time of the Tampa litigation, which is the only case that has provoked death threats," he said.
In his case, if a person has a sensible number of follower so they're not "an obvious extension of some political apparatus," then he will engage with them.
"I think ultimately, and this is going to sound frantically old-fashioned, I think it's actually about good manners."
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Social Media X/Twitter
Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.
