I always strive to behave politely and respectfully, but there’s always someone (or even most people in some communities) who is snarky and rude, or who calls me (or others) a troll. This occurred to me when I sought guidance on how to deal with depression and suicidal thoughts, or even when I made a totally normal remark, such as ‘I tend to evaluate something by its substance rather than who says it and his/her history, but I realize this may not be common.’ I’ve also witnessed it happening to other users who didn’t intend to cause trouble. When this happens, I begin to tremble and feel the need to smash or punch something, and sometimes I burst into tears. To be honest, HN is one of the rare places where this is very minimal, where I feel comfortable and calm to say or ask something or read other conversations.
My question is, how can I handle this? Should I stay away from the internet because I’m not suited for it (I even suspect I may be neurodivergent), or because I can’t cope with its nature? Thanks everyone.
I don’t think just going offline is a healthy solution, since you won’t actually be addressing the issues at hand.
Ignore the Keyboard Warriors[0] and move on with your day.
[0] https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Keyboard%20W...
> 1. A Person who, being unable to express his anger through physical violence (owning to their physical weakness, lack of bravery and/or conviction in real life), instead manifests said emotions through the text-based medium of the internet, usually in the form of aggressive writing that the Keyboard Warrior would not (for reasons previously mentioned) be able to give form to in real life.
The fix will have to be within you. There will always be a nasty reply or post online. I know people that embrace conflict and push back just as hard. They find it satisfying. That's not me. I just let it go. If someone gets nasty. I just leave the conversation. There are other places I can spend my time. It's not worth dealing with it. If a certain place triggers you then don't go back. The internet is huge. You can find a place you like.