How to Tame a Political Troll
Handle most social-media nasties without blocking
Hello everyone!
Here’s your tip of the week PLUS two inspiring quotes and one recommended book.
1 Smart Tip
To increase your political influence:
As I’m sure you know, social-media political discussions are often derailed by bad behavior from a few online agitators. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Taming trolls is fairly easy if you follow the four-step approach below. It really works—in public and private social-media spaces, I tame 90% of trolls after phase one and have blocked fewer than a dozen people over the past four years.
2 Smart Quotes
“A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.”
“Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.”
-- Abraham Lincoln
1 Smart Read
Conventional wisdom says we could solve political polarization if we just get people out of their social-media echo chambers. Chris Bail tested this hypothesis on Twitter and discovered people actually become more polarized when they interact with people on the other side of the aisle. To learn why and what we can do about it, read Bail’s excellent book Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing.
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Until next week,
Karin Tamerius
P.S. Good news! On August 17 I’m teaching a 90-minute online workshop: “Smart Politics: How to Stop Arguing, Stop Avoiding, and Start Making a Difference.” SIGN UP HERE to learn how to have persuasive conversations with people you disagree with (including Trump supporters!)
P.P.S. For more practical wisdom on dealing with trolls, check out my article, “How to Tame a Trump Troll” on Medium.