When we were asked to reflect on the quote "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me, " I immediately disagreed with it. With the internet becoming so handy, it seems as though words mean so much more than they ever have before. Being online is our generations most common way of communicating. Whether it is anonymously or not, words can certainly cause harmful affects. Trolls, for example, are constantly online negatively commenting on peoples profiles. They typically target popular people such as Lindy West, an online writer introduced in "What Happened When I Confronted My Cruelest Troll." She is always being harassed online, but she chooses not to think much of it since it is so common for her. However, when she saw a Twitter account pretending to be her dead dad, she must have felt some pain. She never specifically says she was hurt by the fake profile, but it must have caused her some pain if she had the courage to address the issue publicly. Trolling is found on almost all types of social media, but is there a way to stop is?
I don't think we can ever get rid of trolling, but I do think we can limit it. I found some good advice after doing some "mini-research" on the question "What options do parents have that enable them to supervise, advise, or limit their teens online behavior?" Some families don't allow computers or TV's in bedrooms and make sure to turn off all electronics one hour before bed. Other parents take away "screen time" as a consequence to limit time online. Many parents simply don't allow any electronics at the dinner table. Although this advice may not seem like much, I think even the slightest changes in bad habits will eventually lead to less trolling. Most people make sure to check through all of their social media accounts just before bedtime, but if this time was taken away trolls would probably post less frequently.
My research was found on:
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2014-8-19-when-come-between-teens-and-phones
I agree with your point on parents putting limits on internet access, but I don't know whether it is enough. It is good to take a break from the internet for a while, but that doesn't stop the trolls from coming in. You can be off line for days, weeks, and maybe even months and trolls will still continuously post negative comments on your social media apps. The trolls don't know whether you're online or off line because most media apps don't show when someone is online, so they'll most likely think that you'll see their post. I think the only good way to get rid of trolls is to delete your social media app because blocking the person doesn't always work. It'll be best to just delete the app like Zelda Williams in order to push the trolls away.
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