Trolling ISIS

There's been talk recently about the group "Anonymous" and their attempts at inconveniencing and fighting against ISIS. Anonymous is an online group with quite a large number of members that act as vigilantes of sorts. They hack and interfere with companies or organizations they believe interfere with American freedom. Their acts range from simple trolling and light harassment to hacking and doxing of high up CEO's. Now, as much as I am for trolling terrorists, I think this can only lead to trouble. Anonymous can only ever really annoy ISIS. They lack any real political power and have absolutely no military power, so they could never in their wildest dreams stop ISIS for good. Perhaps they could slow down weapon shipments or release the names of some high up members of ISIS but this doesn't achieve much. The only thing it would really accomplish is building even more hate toward the west in the minds of ISIS members, something that could leave to catastrophic results. So, as funny as it sounds, leave trolling ISIS to the U.S. government.

As we read 3 articles from Farhad Manjoo of "The Trolls Winning as Incivility Increases", Lindy West "What Happened When I Confronted My Cruellest Troll", and Taylor Armerding "Teen Cyberbullying Grows with 'Anonymous' Social Chat apps" they explain what trolls may do to or the lengths they'll go through to make their point and say how their way of thinking is right, basically being very ignorant and not opening up their minds. Also explain how trolling reflects our society in how dark it is and knowing how trolls will never give up, they're very persistent and always find away to keep bombarding the same person with their rude comments. Trolling in my opinion is actually pretty dark, because it shows in troll on how he feels probably due to the isolation from society. I find it harsh how if someone speaks their mind they have so much hate and neglect towards them because they're thinking "outside the box"

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I just love it because of all the food I get to eat. I usually spend it with my dad side of the family. This year I am going to Washington state to visit my grandparents from my dad side. I am going to be there for Thanksgiving break. One of the things I love about Thanksgiving is that there is always left overs for the next day. I also like it because I get to spend time with my family. I feel bad for all the people who don't have a chance to have a Thanksgiving like most people. That's why I like that Mayfair helps families like that, because everyone should deserve a great Thanksgiving meal with their family. So I hope that everyone has a great vacation and an amazing Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble!

West's Impact

As we were reading Lindy West's article in class, I was honestly struck with emotion in so many levels. First of all, how can someone go so low to abuse a living human being's feelings. It made me sick reading the part where it said he created a fake profile of her dead dad. Immediately, I put that in perspectives of my own. I imagined if someone would do that to me with my grandpa. I thought about it and wondered what my actions would be. I think I'd react with anger and aggression rather than calm like Lindy West. I understand she has been dealing with hate for quite a while, but I don't understand how she managed to weigh self control over devastating emotions. This article proved that there are sick people out there willing to go as far as they can to hurt people. This just shows how society is losing its lack of civility. However, it also brings groups together to fight the problem away. You have your good and the bad. You may see something negative, but positive outcomes result to make a difference. I liked how she had confidence and will in her writing. It showed she had the determination to get her point across and stand behind her beliefs. Her passion is probably why I like this article so much. Honestly, emotional articles like these get to me when we read them in class. In a sense it open ups my mind more and makes me reevaluate my previous opinions and knowledge. Lindy West did an amazing job expressing her feelings in a professional matter and managed to take control of the reader's attention. Her writing has inspired me to go in a more connectable path. You want to be able to express yourself but to the extent of clarification and connection. All in all, this was West's impact on me.

what is exactly trolling

Trolling is a mean way to post comments about someone on social media. Social media is the way to the connect with your friends and family but sometimes trolls have to comment on pictures or tweets that have hurt the other person. I really don't understand how a troll can satisfy their craving. What good does it do to your self esteem. There is no real answer to how and why it started but more teens see it as a trend. In my opinion I feel that trollers feel better because they don't have the courage to said anything mean to their face so they feel safer behind their screen. They should start to look out for trollers and find ways to prevent this trolling. Trolls should not have the rights to post rude comments on anyone tweet or picture. That is my view on trolling

Trolling can be used for good too?

Trolls can be funny but they were meant to be insidious. They lurk through the darkness and go around and mess with people just for fun. Personally I think trolls were strongly just meant to prank people. But after reading the articles, I see trolls in a different story now. I've never personally seen such cruelty from anyone on social media befote. I usually stay out of drama or any negative aspect on the Internet. My parents doesn't check what I'm doing it or what I'm looking at. They trust me, as I trust them. Some teenagers need their personal space but most trolls are actual teenagers. Checking time to time is a good thing from teenagers that don't know the world. I have a friend who does weird things and his parents checks his social media every now and then. Trolling is another way of bullying someone. I've trolled my friends before, but only as a minor joke which they all knew. It was an obese picture of me, and it somewhat scares them. To me, trolling is just a joke and is really meant to be used within your group of friends and not on random people whom you don't know.

-Robin Hwang P5

trolling is hating and never ending

Trolling have been around since the dark ages of the internet, so everyone has seen or have had trolling done to them. I feel like there is two types of trolls, the one that makes a joke out of something but doesn't mean to do harm and everyone knows it,  basically trolls that use "what are those" and other popular phrase to make a joke out of something and everyone walks away chuckling from it. Then there are the trolls that everyone feel like their sole purpose on this world to torment people that dare enter the internet and speak their mind. Well I know a lot of people that hate these "Trolls" that inflect harm to others visa of internet, well that's what people do. They're basically you're high schools bullies that have nothing better to do with their lives than to torment you. Sometimes it's not even them, it's that one kid in bio that doesn't like you because you told him that he was a weirdo or something. Trolling is just another way for people to attack someone and not leave marks on a person that is visible to the naked eye, basically the internet is a weapon for trolls to use against others because maybe they can fight you in real life but they know how to torment in other ways. And because theses trolls have such a powerful power over the majority of the human races because we allow it to be, I don't think there's a real way to stop trolling like there is on real way to stop hate. Sad fact is that it's going to happen and it's going to continue to happen. Trust me I wish the only meaning for a troll was someone that makes dumb jokes but it not and it's going to continue to happen. Trolling is just another human factor we all have, some may not have it has horrible and cruel as others but we all have it because we hate something, and we will continue to hate. It's human natural and it's one of the worse one but we have it. All I can say is maybe if we didn't hold social medias and internet related things so dear to our hearts maybe people wouldn't have to deal with trolling but because it's been there since the dark ages of the internet it's going to continue until maybe the human races end because basically all trolling is, is a form of hate.

Short and simply, Trolling is hating and hating is trolling and the internet is a power weapon for the trolls.

What would they think?...

I think trolls now really have an impact with not only young adults but also kids and grown-ups. I just find it hard to believe how people can be so cruel sometimes on the internet and anonymously. I've seen many people get bashed on, whether it'd be social media or other websites. What sucks the most though is you see our little brothers and sisters fall into that category of trolls. Well, some of them. The sad part is that they see it as funny and humorous, what they don't see is how it affects the person on the other side of the computer or phone. Its weird to think what society has come to with all the technology, and its sad to see how younger kids now a days don't care what they post about other people and don't care how it'll affect that person. I wonder what older generations think about our generation , or the generation after us. Do they sympathize us or do they merely see us as some punk ass kids with no respect for our elders or towards anyone at that? I'd really like to know what we look like now through their perspective .

Dealing With Trolls

When I the word trolling comes to mind I think of someone with an ugly personality and always mean for no reason. My understanding of an "internet troll" is a person who does or says things to get negative reactions out of people. They say outrageous things that they probably wouldn't even say in real life. Also I think they do these things for attention.
When it comes to dealing with trolls there isn't any right way. Everyone handles things in different ways. The most common advice we receive is to "ignore them," or "don't feed I to them." This isn't wrong but it doesn't work in every situation. While on Twitter, I see all types of trolling; from people who aren't causing any harm to those who aim to hurt. Most of the time I see trolls when it come it comes to racial issues. For people dealing with those trolls I can tell that it's really hard to ignore them because most of their opinions are based of of ignorant facts.
For situations like this, I would recommend people to think of the situation from a different perspective. Behind everything there is a motive and we have to think of every possible reason.  I know we all have our issues and that doesn't give them a pass to act the way they do, but we should put it into consideration. Just from my own experiences I've noticed that most people who we find annoying, mean, or just unlikable have greater problems than we can see. When they decided to troll, it could be that whatever you had posted could've sparked up all types of emotions and anger. They might have strongly disagreed with the post, but what fused them to express it they way they did probably had nothing to do with the post at all. In this situation giving a person the benefit of the doubt can help you ignore them. So for the next time you are having a hard time ignoring a troll or two, think of this and it should help you out.

A Different Take on Trolling

I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I feel I have a different take on cyber bullying. I don't want this to come off a in a negative way, but I don't often times pity those being bullied. This does not mean I support it, but I know I do not always feel bad. The thing about cyberbullying is that it comes with being a part of social media. When you decide to participate in social media, you always risk the possibility of exposing yourself to any sort of harassment. Now, I can't stress this enough. I do not believe this justifies the action,  I am simply saying if someone is going to expose themselves to this it's always beneficial to teach themself to have tough skin. Being able to handle all the comments said without being affected is something that's necessary to a lifestyle including social media. I hope no one takes this the wrong way as I do still feel that belittling someone over the Internet is extremely cruel and there is no excuse for it.

Sole Purpose of a Troll?

The word "troll" is subjective, but in the particular case that we are looking at in class is the internet troll. In Farhad Manjoo's article, he describes trolls as "agitators who pop up, often anonymously... apparently intent on wreaking havoc... their aims are unclear, their intentions unknown, their affiliations mysterious." I think Manjoo's statement conflicts itself because he says that trolls' intentions are unknown, yet he says they are apparently intent on wreaking havoc. I believe that the sole purpose of trolls is to elicit a negative response and provoke other internet users for their own amusement. A while back when I actually had time to be playing massive multiplayer online games, I remember falling victim to trolls. What certain people only can do to others including me definitely made me distraught at a young age. Other than this seemingly petty situation, I have not been a victim in serious trolling.

Lindsey West deserves praise in the way she deals with her countless number of trolls. I think that her article "What Happened When..." was written for others to empathize with her along to make a claim, but I still don't understand how she was able to keep calm in her circumstance. The hatred towards her became an orthodox thing that she would refer to it as "white noise". However, since she is a feminist who writes about "big, fat, bitchy things that make people uncomfortable", I might go against her in this case. But I have not seen her written works. Anyways, the fake twitter account of her father definitely crossed the line, but she still continued her career. I still wonder why people would spend so much time to try and shut her up, while they can be doing better things in life. Lindsey West gets paid doing what she does, but her trolls probably do not get paid for spreading hatred. What they do is a choice, which is Miss West's claim in this article. What people choose to do and say affect the world we live in.

Why do such people exist? Trolls are difficult to contain, so they will always be there. As what Manjoo says they "reflect base human society in all its ugliness." In a society like ours, there will always be those who will troll for the heck of it. Technology today just provides more means for them doing so.

Our work on November 20

Please open this document and begin work!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.  Read a great book over the break, and I'll see you on November 30 for SSR!

Trolls can always be bested

This post written by Victoria Sosa:

Trolls can always be bested

 

Trolls are malicious people who hide behind screens to avoid any confrontation, sure there are light hearted trolls but I'm talking about the stone cold ones that aim to make you cry. I've encountered trolls here and there, but the true honest full-proof way to best anything they say is to just not take it personally. What others say don't define you but that doesn't mean it won't hurt. I feel hurt whenever I hear others speak about me in a derogative way or see that they have through some internet connected device. Saying I'm a slut or dumbo isn't me at all their words don't define me and that's what matters most. It's easy to be a troll we can vent at others through the cover of anonymity and it makes it even easier to hurt others since we can't directly see the impact we're making.In this day and age no one is truly anonymous it can all be traced after all. All our actions have consequences so even if you don't see it doesn't mean it wasn't felt. Trolling should be stopped but there is no way to contain it the only solution is to best it by not letting it get to you.

You Don't Need Them Troll

Trolls!!! What can I say about trolls to make them not sound so bad? I don't think I can say anything nice, kind, or respectful, because they aren't good people.  Also, trolls are kind of like bullies, they just say what they want to say, whenever they want to say.  Which is not okay because people can get hurt mentally and physically.  Another thing is trolls are not only in person, they can also be on social media and email. Nobody needs trolls in there lives. People like us already have so much to dell with like family, school, and religious things.  We need to kick these trolls out of our lives, once and for all.  So, us as class should expose these trolls and get reed of them.  Also we should make she that we aren't being trolls towards others; so may brighten up others people day. So do as the says "DO NOT FEED THE (INTERNET) TROLLS"!

Misconduct At Its Finest

Since I was a kid, my mom has taught me that if I couldn’t say anything nice I shouldn’t speak at all. As a result, when I disagreed with someone I wouldn’t express it verbally; rather in most situations I would keep it to myself. I find it quite helpful since it reduces the chance of conflict. Although keeping opinions to oneself lessens the chance of controversy, how can one share their point of view without offending someone?

There’s a fine line in having an opinion: it’s either standing behind your point of view or being rude and obnoxious about it.  The distinction between the two is the true motive behind one’s opinion. The internet and social media has provided a way for bloggers to voice their opinion about a specific topic, yet at the same time it has given free access for “internet trolls” to voice their opinion as well. Internet trolls are defined as those who simply spread negativity and downgrade another’s work online. Internet trolling is misconduct at its finest. 

Most of the time internet trolls comment on one’s post about a controversial topic. These trolls feel that have such a strong point of view that when they read something that contradicts their view point they feel the need to attack. A possible example could be the criticism received from a blogger that posted a pro-choice article. Criticism isn’t a bad thing, but it becomes a form of “internet trolling” when one says condescending comments like “pro-choice activists are baby killers”. Another example is when Lindy West was highly criticized for her article on rape. One of West’s internet trolls went to the extreme extent to create a fake account of her deceased father just because he disagreed with her.

Internet trolling isn’t only found in postings about controversial topics. In some cases, it occurs in innocent online posts – those such as “selfies” or “tweets”. Similar to trolls referenced in fairy tales or classic literature, Internet trolls remain anonymous and share their derogatory comments. They lurk in the dark and hide behind their bright screens. This form of internet trolling is linked to cyber bullying. It could be said out of pure hatred or pure malice or even pure boredom, and their intents are usually motivated by jealousy and envy. People usually hate on others because they are doing something right, or they hate on others because they only see themselves as right. This form of internet trolling has become such a pervasive issue in the digital age that it produces insecurity in teens.

The solution to the issue? At this point in time, there is no way to change the habits of internet trolls. As Farhad Manjoo referenced in his article Web Trolls Winning as Incivility Increases, “Trolling is just a symptom of those of bigger problems. –Dr. Phillips” However there is a way to suppress future internet trolling - which is to keep in mind of the golden rule, “treat others the way that you would want to be treated.” If humans consciously decide to treat others the way that they would want to be treated, there wouldn’t be a problem with the use of social media and other similar devices. If one doesn’t want to receive a bad comment then they shouldn’t post bad comments. Even though someone has a different opinion from you, it isn’t justification for you to be mean. Internet users should improve on the way they respond to a contradictory opinion. Responses and comments should be educated and reasonable. If one can’t say anything nice or polite, they shouldn’t even comment. Rude comments only add to the prevalent activity of internet trolling. I’ve never experienced internet trolling first hand, but I’m confident that I do not want it to happen to me. One should never undergo that type of treatment because it is inhumane and just wrong. The internet wasn’t designed for the purpose of internet trolling. It was designed to better and advance the human race. Internet trolls, like “bridge trolls”, inhibit the progression of mankind.  

Trolls

A troll can be defined as a person who makes an online post to purposely offend someone else. Trolls like to cause emotional harm to other people and they enjoy stirring up drama. They're basically cyber bullies. I have been trolled on before. My sophomore year a girl that used to be my friend went on Twitter and posted all these mean and hateful things about me. Since we used to be best friends before, I had told her very personal things and she publicized everything and even made up lies that completely humiliated me. Her comments and posts were so horrible, I never imagined someone to say such mean things about me. I was lucky enough that this occurred over summer so when I started school most people had forgotten about it but it was still a terrible experience and I would never wish that upon someone else. I think trolls are troubled individuals who are self conscious or get bullied themselves. I hope that we can find a way to stop trolling or a way to ignore and avoid those hateful posts that they write. 

They see me trollin...

What is a troll? A troll is defined as someone who makes a deliberately offensive or provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response for them. Someone who trolls probably has nothing better to do with their time. It's actually heartbreaking for the people who are being trolled. I don't want to assume that all trolls are heartless but it's hard not to think that way since they do things to bring others down i.e. creating fake accounts. How does bringing someone down make someone else feel happy. I don't think trolling is taken very seriously since there are so many of them. Posting mean comments about people or making fun of someone doesn't even cross my mind, maybe it's because my parents taught me that being mean to someone doesn't get me anywhere in life. I think if we all cracked down on trolling, it would be taken more seriously.

Internet Trolls are Grumpy Trolls

Troll. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear that is the little chubby umpa lumpa looking toy with colorful hair that sticks up, well, either that or a grumpy troll hiding under a bridge. In this case we are talking about internet trolls. Internet trolls are basically cyber bullies. I find it odd that they have the time to hate on someone. I just don't get why you want to take time out of your day to find any flaw you can in someone and then shove them in that persons face. In my opinion that type of person has an obsession or is jealous of the person they are hating on. Internet trolls are kind of like grumpy trolls in the way that they are only there to terrorize people and are always hiding. Grumpy trolls wait under the bridge until you pass by and try to scare you away. Internet trolls hide behind their computer screen and try to scare you away. They are pretty similar in my opinion. I feel like there are a lot of trolls out there and that is because they think that whatever they say won't come back to them or they believe it's completely anonymous. However there is not always complete anonymity because with things like the Internet once it's out there it can be traced back to you. Although there are people who hide and make fake accounts there are some people who hate on others openly. For example celebrities receive tons of hate on social media and if you click on the haters profile you'll find that they don't even care that people know who they are and how much they are abusing someone online. It's crazy how people don't realize what they're saying or that their words are hurting someone. Overall trolls in my opinion should be put to silence somehow.  I don't know how but hopefully the war on trolls is somehow stopped.

Internet Trolls

When I think of Internet Trolls, I think of Bully's who have no time for anything productive in their life. I really can't stand when people bully other people, especially on the internet. If you have something mean to say, you should 1) Not say it at all or 2) Be bold and say it to someone's face, don't be a chicken and hide anonymously behind a computer screen. There really is no way to stop internet trolls completely, but there are ways to minimize it. It really isn't fair to a person who is being bullied, that they should have to delete their applications, because an internet troll is coming after them. We deserve freedom just as much as they do. We can stop internet trolls by not responding back to them. If we respond back to their negative comments, they will continue to keep being negative, and they will also feel like they need to keep commenting, so they can feel like they're on top. I know it may seem downing, but you should never let them get to you. You should know you are loved, and that them bringing you down is not worth it. Let the internet trolls be trolls, and don't respond to them. If you know someone who is an internet troll, maybe you should advise them to be a better person, and stop trying to bring other people down, just because they're down. The world needs more peace and love, and less bullies...

When I think of Internet trolls, I think of people who don't have anything better to do with their life but bring other people down. They stop at nothing just to get a rise out of their target. To me a troll is a cyber bully in the worst form. Trolls intentionally hurt others, they comment and send messages that are deliberately mean and hateful. It's not necessarily easy to ignore or avoid online trolls. They're literally everywhere and come back like a virus stronger and harder to ignore. So how do you respond to trolls? Well it all depends on the type of person you are. Someone timid tends to not respond to them going only to the extent of blocking the troll. On the other hand, an outspoken person can easily stand up to their aggressors. I think that trolls are a product of our internet society.
Jessica Nwabuzor

Why you always trollin ?

I think it's funny to me hearing the word "troll." When I hear the word troll for some reason I think of those hideous dolls in Toy Story that have brown skin and hair that just sticks up like static. However in this case we're talking about an internet troll. Internet trolls in my opinion are somewhat another name for internet bully. In this generation we use the slang "lurker," which is someone who has nothing better to do than just always stalk someone else's page trying to figure out what their up to. But in this case not many people in this society use trolling in a good way. They use trolling as a way to express their own opinions about other people but don't necessarily know the difference between an opinion and cyber bullying. When you are asked to give an open opinion about something you are required to give a honest opinion but in a respectful manner where no one will get hurt. Moreover that's not what people do today. Today people don't care about taking other human feelings into consideration when there being honest about something. Many cyber bullies use the internet to be able to use verbal abuse to hurt other people without having to come face to face with that person physically. Then there are some trolls that will go as low as possible on social media by attacking the victim by exposing their personal business to make the persons life miserable. For me personally my grandmother taught me that if someone strikes you on the left cheek, turn the right cheek as well. Now she's not saying that reoffering to being in a fight, what she meant was if someone hurts you do not seek revenge, simply forgive them and continue living. Majority of the time when people bully other students it's caused by lack of self confidence and jealousy. One of the role's I like to go by is "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." Believe it or not it has made my life much easier, you should try it (:

Trolling Around

   Social Media has given opened us to so many wonderful opportunities.  It allows us to open up to put our opinions out there and have other individuals view it. Not everybody is going to like what we have to say and what we do online but since you can have an opinion well so can they.  There happen to be certain individuals that love to start up problems with what you have to say and although they are allowed to express what they want there should be a certain limit on how far things should be taken.  It's so easy to say things when you're only facing a screen but many don't realize how much it can affect someone's feelings. It can lead to them lowering their self esteem and making them feel less of a person when we are all the same.
   If someone agrees with what you're saying it can give you a really good feeling inside but it's definitely not the same impact when someone bashes what you have to say. Individuals tend to have such stronger feeling towards things they disagree on which is something a lot of us will never understand exactly why. I have seen many of these trolling incidents on most teens favorite app, Twitter. I have seen many people, especially girls, put each other down for no good apparent reason and I don't think I'll ever understand how they get joy out of that. By putting someone behind the screen takes away the moment of feeling guilty or bad for what they're doing because you don't get an immediate reaction off of the other person. If the troll were to ever be confronted there typical response would be "learn how to take a joke", "I was kidding", "well you deserve it" but there is a huge difference between joking around and trolling around.

I Hate Trolls

I hate trolls

This whole topic about trolls has got my blood boiling because I hate people who mess with others 

over the internet and can get away with it because we can't see them through a screen. Lately I've 

been noticing only two types of trolls on the internet, the funny ones and the others that take it too 

far. Many people may know the websites 4Chan and Reddit, the most troll infested online places I 

know of and honestly I can't believe the things people talk about. To me trolls are people who have

nothing better with there lives so they make other peoples lives miserable for there own entertainment. When you try to fight back they will always have something to say because apparently over the internet they're invincible, the only way to beat a troll is just to ignore them.

So what if they keep posting stuff about you on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. They're wasting their own time doing these things and for what, to make you as miserable as them. It's like your having a good conversation with someone and then a troll appears to post a comment that upsets almost everyone.There is no real purpose behind a trolls comment but to make people angry. they will lie, exaggerate, and offend just to get a response. This is just from my experience.

Trolls truly enjoy making you feel bad.

Trolling

Ever since this topic was introduce in class, I have noticed different types of trolling.  For example there is this forum based website I go on regularly, known as reddit.  One thing I've noticed is how differently male and female posters are treated.  If someone who posts something admits they are female there always seems to be a troll who spews hate and sexism because they believe women should not have a voice on the internet.  While a male is just referred to as some sort of homophobic slur.  What a time to be alive where if you post on the internet your either a lesser than the opposite sex or your gay.  Amazing.

Can it be stopped?

Usually bullies attempt to make themselves appear powerful and better than others through the act of bullying. Some people get bullied in person while others are bullied through the Internet by trolls. Whatever the case, they both have harmful results. Many people hide behind a screen typing inappropriate and cruel remarks. Numerous individuals think that their words are simply words and will not affect the target whom they are aiming at. However, this is not the case. Words are extremely powerful and can be taken straight to the heart.

At some point we are all told that other people's opinions of us don't matter as long as we are happy with ourselves. Nonetheless, negative statements tend to stay in our minds longer than a positive one will. I used to use the social media app called Ask.fm. Although it was a site meant for innocent anonymous questions, sometimes I would receive hateful and unkind statements. Knowing that someone else thought negative things of me caused me to question myself and feel self conscious. I am just an average teenage girl but there are various celebrities who constantly receive hate. I cannot imagine how famous individuals must constantly feel. 

Having unkind things said about you or to you makes one feel melancholy. We never know what a person is going through in their personal life. We can say "I know how you feel" but we don't really know how they feel because everyone's feelings are unique. We may be able to relate but never feel the same thing. Bullies and Internet trolls can cause a person to feel so depressed that it affects the person's daily life. If a person is depressed and the bully is aware of it and suspects their harassing may cause them to attempt suicide and it happens, the bully will be held responsible. 

How can cyber-bullying be prevented? Is shutting down or deleting an app the only way to avoid being harassed online altogether? Should remarks being made by cyberbullies be taken seriously and/or personally? 

Be Kind to Each Other

Our current unit is about online trolls and cyber bullying. When I think of a troll, I think of a Troll Doll, you know the ones with rainbow colored hair, that sticks straight up. It sad to think this, but an internet troll is probably more common than a Troll Doll. Some apps like Yik Yak and Tumblr have the options to post things anonymously. Especially on Tumblr, people post things they wouldn’t want to share on Facebook or Instagram. The mixture of people sharing personal things and being vulnerable and having the option to comment anonymously is a recipe for trouble. Women, people that speak their mind, or anyone that is slightly different are easy targets for trolling. In the past, it’s always been the kids that are “different” or “unique” are targets for bullying at school. Nothing about that has changed, other than the bullies have a new way to harass people via the internet.  The hurtful things said over the internet, would never be said to someone’s face. There is a difference between typing things and sending them electronically, than saying them in person and watching someone’s reaction. Trolls use the computer screen as a mask.

          When social media, like twitter, is used to troll someone the situation escalates. If something is said about someone on twitter, people can favorite or retweet it, which just adds fuel to the fire. Just imagine someone saying something negative about you on twitter then seeing dozens of your classmates favoriting and retweeting it. It’s easy to say “just block them” or “take a break from social media” but blocking them doesn't change the fact that someone said horrible things about you on a public platform. The horrible things said over social media will scar people forever.  Why should someone give up their social media because others are using their profiles in harmful ways? The idea that someone would but so much time and effort or any effort at all into intentionally hurting someone over the internet is so uncivil. The people who recreationally abuse others on the internet should refocus their energy into something productive. The internet is such a useful tool, it's saddening that it’s being used for so much evil. Cyberbullying is on the rise and there doesn't seem to be any end insight. So, in the meantime all we can do is stick up for those who attacked by trolls and try to use the internet for good. Be kind to each other.

The Value of Friendship

I don't care how many friends you have, whether it's one or one-hundred, friendship is something of great value. But, what is a friend?
A friend can often be compared to a sibling. They care about you, they give you a hard time, they only want to see you happy, and you guys may not always agree, but you love each other unconditionally. I personally see friendship as the greatest value in life because of the way I've come to know it. I have 8  close friends that I see as brothers. My parents know all of them and we all agree that blood relation could not make us anymore closer than we already are. I've known some of them since I was in elementary school and some I just met a year ago, but I've realized that time is not a measurement of friendship: loyalty and love is.
I understand that maybe some of you see friendship differently and your take on it is just as good as mine, but I do feel that it is the most important aspect of my life. I've come to know friendship as more than just someone to eat lunch with at school. It's someone to keep you company when you're lonely. Someone to make you smile on your worst day because their happiness is a reflection of yours. There's so much to friendship on such a deep level that gives it unexplainable value. Don't take my word for it though; give me some feedback about what you think of friendship.
Thanks for reading. Yours truly,
Joe Emmsley

Trolls: They Solemnly Swear They are Up to No Good

When I hear the word trolls, I am mentally transported back to the first book in the Harry Potter series. There’s a scene in the book in which a troll is found in the dungeon. An anxious Harry and Ron sneak away from the safety of their dorms to search out a missing Hermione. They find her and the troll in the girl’s bathroom. In a show of both bravery and stupidity, the two young boys rescue a frightened Hermione and defeat the troll. The event builds camaraderie between the three young Gryffindors and marks the beginning of a lifelong friendship for one of our favorite literary trios.

Although this story seems to have nothing to do with Internet trolling, I think there are some parallels to be found between these two types of trolls. Online trolls are not too different from Harry Potter trolls: they are mean-spirited, ugly, insensitive, and sometimes even threating or dangerous. They often target women, especially women who dare to write about controversial topics such as racisms, misogyny, or feminism, as we read about in our article packet.  Trolls are hard to simply ignore, and there is no quick fix to the problems they bring. Even in the magical world of Harry Potter, the troll was defeated only after a boy jumped on its back, a wand was thrust up its nose, and a club had fallen on its head.  

Why aren't there more Harrys and Rons in this world? Why don't more people try to defeat trolls, or at least counter online negativity with positivity? I know many of us, when we read a particularly inspiring book, article, or blog, find ourselves nodding in agreement with what is said but then don't care enough to do let our thoughts lead to action. It's not hard for us to write positive comments, tweets, messages, or emails to authors to show our gratitude for their great work, and yet so many of us don't take the time to do this.

Some people, however, have taken the time to spread positivity on the web. I find a great example of this with Goodreads, an online site I use that is basically the book equivalent of Facebook. On the site, readers can keep track of what books they've read, get suggestions for new books to read, see what books their friends are reading, and write reviews. For the most part, I've been impressed by the reviews people have written. Many readers take the time to praise books on the site. Even readers who don't particularly like a book never senselessly belittle the author, but instead give a polite and succinct explanation for their opinion. Sure, there are still plenty of people who troll on the site; however, I find that there is also a plethora of people who are letting their positive ideas be heard and are making a difference on the site. 

I think that the online community that Goodreads has created is amazing. It's not perfect, but it's an example of how we can use technology for good. My question for you is, what specific measures can we take to combat online negativity with positivity?

Hope you spend your evening reading about trolls: the Harry Potter kind, of course!

You kids are bloggers

I am happy to see most of the class out here, and I ESPECIALLY like it when you read and comment on one another's posts.  I often find it very moving when you kids are kind and just present for one another in this public way.  Thank you to the comment writers during first quarter -- Kaila, Heidi, Chris, Neil, Marissa, Annalise, Devon, Joe, Sarah, Rebecca and Marquis...very great work.