I know what the data would probably say, hell, I remember some of it myself from the earliest days of this cesspool we call the internets. I know they’d say that they have always been here, since the birth of this place, been around since before this place was even a place at all. Where there are people, they’ll be there, they’d probably tell me and probably quote Durkheim and his views on anomie and the breakdown of our social contracts or something. Sure, I’d say, but it’s a hell of a lot worse now.
Trolls, kids. I’m talking about trolls.
I didn’t think I was going to write this piece, I actually danced around it and pushed it off and was supposed to write it last year sometime after dealing with a bunch of unfortunate interactions with them, but just didn’t want to. Then, oh my goodness gracious, then, the biggest damn trolls actually won. The big prize, the biggest of the big, they won it all.
I wasn’t gonna write this at all, wasn’t going to shine a flashlight on people that have demanded a spotlight all this time, but then we stumbled into 2025 and have spent almost every waking moment of this brand new year watching the trolls dismantle what took over two centuries to build. Watching them continue to troll as they do so, continue to bully and harass and become more than just the traditional internet trolls that hide behind their keyboards, but into the kind that manifest themselves into true agents of chaos. The kind that breaks governments and destroys democracies and stages a coup in plain sight while everyone just kind of looks on and feels helpless.
Originally, I was going to write about the simpler kind of trolls, the baby brothers to those that are spreading havoc in the highest echelons of our political and social systems right now. I was going to write about how long I’ve been dealing with people who just want to stir shit up, just want to comment and post negative slop on anything anyone does online. Those that try so hard to disrupt. I was going to talk about the impotence of these beasts that once were only fairytale lore, how they have always just been annoying but inconsequential, a thorn in the side of good people who want to do and see good things on the world wide webs.
Turns out, it’s more than this, and probably always has been. Perhaps this “evolution,” we’re seeing wasn’t overnight after all. Perhaps they’ve been slowly turning into this all these years.
The warning signs have been there, not at all hiding it turns out. These are those that stormed the Capitol, these are those that march in our streets and hide their cowardly faces with masks when they shout bullshit rhetoric about white supremacy and against equality. That inconsequential nonsense is still nonsense, but now it’s so far from inconsequential it is terrifying.
I was going to talk about the why, behind why they troll. I was going to dive into the psychology behind it, talk about their deep need for attention, their power plays, their desperate seeking of control and some grand sense of entitlement that makes them truly believe they deserve to be heard. Even in that way, that awful and deplorable way, they think they deserve to be listened to.
I had thoughts about discussing how the social media algorithms that RUN OUR ENTIRE RIDICULOUS LIVES reward their outrage and their divisiveness. I was going to, but then something happened. Then I saw Elon Musk, I saw Mark Zuckerberg, and I saw CEOs of everything from TikTok to Google, standing up and clapping with Donald Trump at the inauguration. I saw Zuckerberg bend the knee to Trump and pay him millions of dollars and completely strip the content moderation department of his ridiculous company so that all the baby trolls could continue to reproduce and spread hatred and discontent and misinformation.
I was going to call out the trolls that do their little evil bidding and explain my hope that they always stayed what they always had been, sad little people behind their little screens, trying to make everyone else as sad as they were. Then I saw all the major news and media companies following in Zuckerberg’s weird footsteps, paying him what could only amount to bribes, and refusing to report the news honestly, without bias or slant, and calling out in plain language what was happening.
Now I don’t know what to say. Now, it just feels like the monsters have won, the trolls are at the helm and they are sailing us right into the storm.
Trolling has never been the harmless fun that the trollers claimed it was, and we’re seeing that now. Trolling, we are learning in real-time, can apparently be one of the chief forms of spreading misinformation, and when it’s disgustingly coupling itself with people in positions of power, the influence that misinformation has is increased exponentially.
Musk at Twitter, er, X, Zuckerberg at Meta, ByteDance and their TikTok, Trump with his chaotic style of ruining a country governing, AI-generated nonsense that throws even more noise into the mix, DeepFakes, TruthSocial, Proud Boys, it’s all adding up to bigger, badder, more despicable trolls. Those trolls are no longer hiding beneath the bridges, scaring billy goats, they are no longer fast asleep in the fjords of Norway, they are here, they are there, they are everywhere.
They are at the podium with the Presidential Seal, they are in the boardrooms of the most profitable companies on the planet earth, they are building rockets to colonize a glowing red planet in the middle of outer-space that cannot even sustain us anyways. They are killing a planet, then promising to kill another.
All of this is having consequences, far reaching and it looks like lasting. They are emboldening everyday people to mimic their behavior, to continue it as there are no repercussions. This, my goodness, this, is leading to a breakdown of empathy on a national, on a global scale. It’s creating entire societies that are forgetting how to be kind to one another, how to negotiate, peacefully, how to co-exist. We’re following leaders that aren’t doing anything that remotely looks like leading, that are destroying instead of repairing, that are alienating instead of reaching out.
Ok, so we know this, we see this, we’re aware. So what? What can we do? How can we fight back?
I’m not an expert, but I’ve been here a long time, dealing with the lowercase t trolls that come out in droves no matter what I post. I know we’re dealing with a lot worse now, capital T Trolls that are manifestations of a callous, indifferent evil that we’ve never seen before, but still, I think a lot of the same lessons apply. Start here.
Do not become what we are so repelled by - This is the beginning of it all, I think. We must refuse to acquiesce and let ourselves combat the onslaught of negativity with evil of our own. I know this is hard, I know this sucks, but fighting anger with anger only leads to more anger.
Deplatform - Yeah, this one is just as hard, but for starters, and I’ll say this not so gently for those of you in the back: GET OFF OF THE PLATFORMS THAT ARE SPREADING THIS VITRIOL. IF you are still on X, why? I know the excuses, that it’s still worth having to monitor the bad guys blah blah. Delete it. Log out and don’t log back in. If you still want to use Instagram or Facebook for personal reasons, that’s fine, but please, for the love of all that is good and holy, stop getting any “news” from there, believing anything you read or see posted there, and have a serious think about how much better your time can be applied and spent elsewhere.
Do Not Engage - Think of each tiny little troll as a tiny little spark that wants so desperately to start a great big fire. How do we help prevent that? Starve them of the oxygen they need. Your attention is their fuel, and the more you give, the bigger that fire spreads. Mute. Block. Report. Start training yourself to recognize what’s just baiting you, and what’s never, ever worth responding to. Hint: It’s all of it. ALL of it.
Support Independent journalism - Some of the absolute best writing about all of this is far, far from the mainstream media. Follow writers who are writing the truth, and avoid the big usual suspects that are owned by some of the richest people on earth. Read
, read , read , read . If we disrupt their megaphones by refusing to tune into them, we steal that power.Strengthen your own digital literacy - AND help others do the same, by educating them on troll tactics, as so many people don’t even know they are being manipulated. Support fact-checking efforts and support the websites that do this. Above all, promote serious critical thinking, and hold yourself to that standard. DO not accept anything at face value anymore. Learn. Teach. Learn. Teach. Repeat.
Build (and join) healthier communities - THIS PLACE IS ONE! If we spend more of our precious time in more precious places, we avoid so much of this in the first place. Right now, more than ever, we need communities of good people who want good things for all of us. Not just the top 1% of the top 1%. We need those who are brave, who are courageous and want to fight for democracy and fairness and equality and kindness and justice and truth. Find these people, find your people, and stick close.
Just a few tips, I know they are like throwing rocks at tanks right now, but dammit, we’re still in the fight.
This whole thing, I didn’t even want to write it, I didn’t even want to go down roads like this, but it’s so much worse, so much more dangerous, to stay quiet in the face of it. You know the old poem, “First they came for…” so do not allow yourselves to “say nothing.” Speak up, fight the good fights, and hold tight to those who believe in this.
This became a rant, but what can you do. These are desperate measures for such desperate times.
Be good.
If you enjoy this, please take two seconds to click the Heart to Like it at the bottom, and ReStack it or Share it. This really helps my work get seen by more people and helps this place grow.
This may be the most impactful Signal Fire post you've ever written, and one I'm sure you could have never foreseen having to write when you founded this magical space to share your creativity and talents.
We are only months into this presidency but it somehow feels like years. The damage, likely irreparable, that has already been caused by these megalomaniacs is terrifying to say the least. I am scared for what is to come. And I'm not even American.
The chaos is far-reaching; most of the world is collectively holding their breaths and waiting for the next punch to the gut. Please know we are standing beside you and the rest of the good guys, praying to whatever Deity/Universe that there is an end to this. That someone with enough reason will step in and peacefully bring things back to whatever sense of normalcy remains in this dystopian nightmare.
Karen, thank you so much for this. I never thought I'd have to go down these roads, but I just realized, if I'm not using my platform to speak up and speak out against atrocities, I am part of the problem too. Thanks for seeing this, thanks for being here.
Tyler, thank you for this. Your thoughts on trolls and how to manage their damage are spot on. And you offer the best advice with the reminder; “As much as words are powerful, so is their absence”. Yes, we face more than a culture war on the internet. The few trolls of the past have become millions of “bots”, spewing out disinformation, hate speech, and negativity for the simple purpose of sustaining our primitive attention online. Hate, anger, and fear in the internet are what water is to the desert in our mind. What started as the nihilistic and anarchical nature of the few online in the 1980’s has become an automated network of psychological manipulators made to improve the data that ranks both viewer time and interest. I no longer see the situation as us versus them, because “them” has essentially become “us” with the magnificent seven’s enabling of unlimited algorithms to find and manipulate our human emotions. If you have experience in marketing, you may know about the “clam-plate orgy” advertising techniques of the 1980’s. The bots are just a more recent and insidious version of subliminal manipulation. Designed to ignite the same human nature of “fight or flight” as much as a hidden desire. Your list of “life-hacks” for dealing with them are extremely helpful. I prefer to actively counter, but respect the self-preserving need dis-engage with the sites and organizations that utilize these methods and tactics. Indeed, as a “child of the 60’s”, I witnessed the visceral power that public opinion and presence as a powerful and effective counter weight to any “campaign of pain” they wage on us. Remember that their goal is not to change the culture, but to exert control and gain money. Behind every political or marketing campaign is self interest.
The crisis is now
There, In the back of our throats
We can feel it catch
What we thought we knew
Now has been turned upside down
Winning has escaped
They win only by
Raising fears of the unknown
Only if we accept
It’s a lesson learned
Be careful what you ask for
You might just get it
Politics is called
“Artful negotiation”
Or it used to be…
“I serve the people!”
But my vote is re-served, for
the highest bidder
It should be called “lies”
When they lie and we lay down
Stand up and be heard.
Don’t let the liars
Approach you without consent
and lie with a smile.
Words that hurt are weak.
It’s harder to fix problems
Than just to destroy
If you look beyond
Projected words and division
There’s self interest
I guess we know now
There are no simple answers
To our hard questions
Our complex world needs
An imperfect consensus
Just to move forward
Answers must contain
Less of me and more of us
Inconvenient truth
Start by showing up
Presence is stronger than words
The will of the people
Even if we stand up
But are told we must sit down
And then to shut up
If we only serve
to enrich in our own interests,
We have lost our way.
We cannot go back
To simpler times of yes/no
When we all ask why?
In a world of trolls
We must be willing to stand
Or live in our knees
My friend, thank YOU for being here, for this. I couldn't allow the absence of My words about all this any more. I couldn't sit quiet and pretend all things were just flowing along like normal when so much is happening. With a platform comes a responsibility to use it for GOOD, and I intend to. I will not be quiet with what we're facing. I cannot.
This is a great piece. And I’ve already shifted where I spend my time online this year. I’m really getting into Substack and all the incredible writers, artists, thinkers, and journalists who are on here. Jessica Yellin is another incredible journalist who I like to get my news from. It’s important who we choose to follow and I am always looking for ways to stay informed, but also educated in a way that makes me feel empowered.
You're so amazing and we're so lucky to have you here. I Hope you see this, and I hope this community warms you, as you do it.
You’ve brought up a lot of important points here and some good small solutions, for both Americans and Canadians, who are dismayed at what we see happening south of the border and hoping that the trolls in Canada aren’t given the power to do the same. I am often tempted to respond to unproductive and nasty online comments but refrain. Our election is April 28- crossing my fingers and toes that we do not elect someone who in some ways mirrors the Trump mindset.
I'll start with small solutions, and start with using my voice here, and everywhere it reaches, for good. That's all I can do. I hope things go well for you all, I truly do.
Even here in Australia we are watching and worrying. The success of one set of trolls emboldens others, and with our own election in 2 weeks, I worry about the outcome.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As always, I value them.
The trickle down is intense, and it is swift. Evil begets evil and it spreads. I so hope all is ok for you down under.
I’ve got to admit, I am disappointed that politics have now invaded “my” Signal Fire—one of my chosen “healthier communities”. I have chosen to hang out here, with this, in order to not hang out there, with that. I don’t want politics to find me here…and if political commentary starts to become more frequent and commonplace here, this too will become a place that I will avoid. Of course I realize this is not “my” page at all, but I beg of you, please take the high road Tyler. 🙏🏼
I don’t mean to be disagreeable by disagreeing but I believe that Tyler IS taking the ‘high road’ by speaking out. It’s not mere ‘politics’; it’s our values.
Speaking up for my community, for vulnerable communities like our LGBTQIA+ friends and family, for people being illegally deported and sent to concentration camps, it's the way we keep "healthier communities" actually healthy. For too long we've all taken the "high road" and been polite and calm and restrained and we've turned the other cheek while those who are perpetrating such atrocities get louder, and louder, and more brazen, and worse. SO many communities are under attack right now, so many people that exist in THIS community, myself included, and this is not about politics, this is not about Republican or Democrat, this is about human beings, this is about humanity itself. To sit silent and acquiesce is to allow these atrocities to continue, and if this turns this place into a place you have to avoid, I am sorry that you feel that way, and I will wish you so very well as you find somewhere else. We will still be here, still pushing kindness, still trying our very best to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and if that means ruffling feathers along the way, I suppose that's a price I am (quite literally as I rely on this income to even keep Signal Fire alive and going) willing to pay.
THANK YOU TKG. We must speak up. This place is safe. Refuge and renewal. The monsters are loud and big however, I truly believe they have not won. They are the snake encircling the earth swallowing itself on the other end and in turn it will consume itself. NOT US. We are light. I know we stand together and there are SOOO many more of us! Keep faith! Hold fast!
You're so entirely welcome, as always. This place is safe, this place is haven. We must be loud, we must be kind, but we must be LOUD. Stand together, hold fast. We're here.
Tyler, I love how you will say THE THING that no one else has the guts to say. No one. We need more people like you , like this community, these supporters who stand up for injustice, who don't fall for the lies and deceit. More of this please!!
And thank you for always being the one who says the things, always! <3
I will always, I promise you that. Even when it costs me, literally, my income, in doing so. I love you all.
I’ve been off most forms of social media since February. I’ve started engaging in discussions with many people in my life who have very different views than me. And while it’s been extremely challenging and emotional, what I’ve found is that I have a lot more in common with people who believe or vote differently than me than I imagined. It’s a fine line to stand for your values while listening with a true desire to understand as others share about theirs. But what I’ve found is that I’m filled with much less rage and hatred than when I made the assumption that we either agreed or disagreed with no middle ground.
It’s not perfect. There are still things that frustrate me or scare me or disappoint me. But it’s also been really beautiful learning how to discuss and debate ideas that are fueled by my own thoughts and values and not what the internet tells me I have to think, say, and believe. It’s also been really beautiful going through each day with so much less anger. The internet wants us to be angry. It wants us to be divided. It makes money off our pain. But learning to discuss, disagree, learn, and grow with people in my life who are both similar and different from me has shown me opportunities for unity where the internet says there can’t be.
A lot of growth happens in the in-between spaces and I’m grateful to be learning how to navigate them.