trolls are all twelve, give them a break

I’ve read quite a few rants lately about trolls on the internet. They’re haunting your blogs and making disrespectful comments. They’re spouting off complete drivel on unrelated posts. It sounds annoying. The Honking Goose is too new to have these problems. If I’m lucky, someday I’ll be able to commiserate with you about how irritating it is. For now, I’m going to offer a reality check. To you, and to future super annoyed me.

What I do, or I should say what I would or will do, is assume that every troll is a twelve year old seeking attention. Sure, some of them are actual grown adults who should know better. But imagine for a moment that the troll under your bridge is a twelve year old kid sitting at home with a hand-me-down IPad while s/he waits for her/his single parent to come home from work and give them some parental support before sending them to bed because they have to get up the next morning and go to 7th grade.

Image source: Internet

They may be spamming you with all kinds of ignorant nonsense about grown-up topics, but are they really a grown-up stupid person, or are they just a kid pretending? Remember there are millions of young people with access to internet and they haven’t had the years of experience yet to learn how to maturely handle it all. Even grown-ups make mistakes.

I first had access to AOL chatrooms when I was sixteen and the internet was so new, my parents didn’t have a clue what was going on. I can tell you I did not always make the best choices. So if I were you (or future me) I would tread lightly with these pushy, instigating trolls.  They might be only a child.

Honk at me! Tell me your troll story and I’ll try to guess whether it was a grown-up stupid person or just a kid pretending.