Do Not Feed The Troll

Recently I have been teaching General Studies to my Year 10's about Social Media and commenting online. We did a big huge bit on trolls. And my lovely class told me about how they get called fat, or ugly, or told to kill themselves. They have pictures sent to them of dead rude things and basically a fair few of them have got abuse at one time or another. A troll is basically someone who posts things negatively on the Internet. And today? I got a couple come my way.

I have been called 'classless', 'insecure', 'crazy' and been told that my husband is 'belittled' by me or is 'incompetent'. All because I wrote a piece saying that Dad's love softplay, quavers and McDonalds. That's it. Did I comment on religion? No. Was I racist? No. I was just being a bit daft as are most of my pieces of writing. I have written about bunting, Eurovision, Take That and all sorts. I have made fun out of myself. I have made fun out of my children. Because that is what I do. And call me a crazy person (oh hang on you already did) but this is MY blog. This is not a multi-national company. This is one, slightly chubby, mid 30's woman, sat in her bedroom writing something to make her mates smile, and recording memories for my children. That is it. Nothing sinister. Nothing horrible. Simply an on-line diary of motherhood.

My feelings exactly

I am writing about my experiences, I am writing about the experiences of my friends and their husbands. I am not writing about every, single individual in the world. I have written about my struggle looking after two children, my inability to not go on a night out and get wrecked and puke, my failings as a mother, and some of the things my kids do to drive me mad. But today some men, read one piece and enjoyed to well just be bloody mean to me. My favourite quality in someone is being able to laugh at yourself. And that is how I write.

The dignified thing would be to not comment, delete their views and move on. And as I told my Year 10's to 'not feed the troll' but as I am 'classless' I am confronting you. If you do not like my blog, if you think I am a dick and generally you dislike me. Then you know what. Block me on twitter, ignore my website and generally do one. If you want to leave a mean comment again, then I will refer you back to this very piece, before I delete and block you. Arseholes.