An internet troll is a person who sows discord by starting arguments with posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community. The intent? To disrupt the conversation. I’ve let trolls almost ruin entire days, and even weekends. Not anymore!

A troll thrives on getting under people’s skin and making them angry. They ignore facts and will not stop. You can never get the last word in with a troll. Nor can you ever win a debate and convince them that their stance is incorrect. So, why even bother? Exactly! Don’t feed the trolls and they will go elsewhere. There is nothing worse for a troll than being starved….aka ignored!

If they become overly obnoxious and rude, you can always block them from being able to interact with you or see your posts, even if it’s a “friend.” Here’s how you do it on LinkedIn.

• Go to the profile of the person you’d like to block.
• Click the More…button below the member’s profile picture and select Report/Block from the list.
• Select Block [member name] from the What do you want to do? pop-up menu.
• Click Block to proceed or Go back to review your options.

Additionally, you can report abuse to LinkedIn by emailing: abuse@linkedin.com

Many people are afraid to post due to trolls and their negative comments. So, they choose to not even post. My advice: don’t let trolls prevent you from sharing your talents on social media. Starve them of the attention they crave.

Not only are trolls annoying and offensive, they are huge productivity drains.  Think about it this way.  Every time you interact with a troll online, you are forfeiting an opportunity to engage with the potential customers or business contacts that have liked and commented on your post.

Trolls are looking for any opportunity to catch you at a weak moment and cause public embarrassment to your personal brand.  They are waiting to pounce should you react with any signs of anger to their antics.  Don’t give them this opportunity.  Keep it professional when dealing with them, and make sure to take the high road.

Don’t feed them your time … Don’t feed them your energy … Don’t feed them your emotional well-being.

Join me in taking a stand against online bullying by fencing off these attacks. Ignore this behavior and take away the satisfaction these people get from making people angry!

Beth Kelzer
Follow Beth at LinkedIn.com/in/marybkelzer
CareerToolboxUSA

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