It is early Monday morning as I write this. I just finished my Monday Motivation which is my weekly ritual when I review my schedule for the day and week, and make my ‘must do’ list of things I have to get done today. I make coffee and I check email. And now I have adopted a new practice – I talk to myself about the importance of protecting my peace in the week ahead and to avoid, ignore, and empathize for the growing and flourishing clan of keyboard gangsters who will inevitably evade my mental space and social media pages this week.
What is a keyboard gangster? You know these people, they are referred to by different terms but we all know of them or have read about them. Many people refer to them as internet trolls or energy vampires. They deliberately provoke people, specifically online, by making inappropriate, inflammatory and offensive statements. And in our current social and race relations climate, the era of the keyboard gangster has an incredibly rapid birth rate. These people are even more empowered to make outrageous racist comments and statements without fear of consequences.
I refer to these offenders as keyboard gangsters because there is something distinctly different about these bullies. They have incredibly strong and socially unacceptable views and argue vehemently with others who don’t share their same views. But they cowardly express these views by taunting others and hiding behind keyboards in the safety of their own homes. They say and write things they would never have the audacity to say in person.
These are the people who purport controversial views like “Covid is a joke…it primarily effects Blacks” or “People who wear masks are sheep,” or egregiously racist rants like “Black people don’t deserve respect from the police” or “Black people should go back to Africa.”
Whew. Just typing that causes me heart palpitations. But, here’s some quick tips that I have learned to practice, and it helps me draw boundaries that safeguard my sanity and emotional health.
Do Not Engage. Although this tends to be the most difficult action to NOT do, it is the most effectual protection of your personal peace. The most powerful approach to silencing and stifling the momentum of keyboard gangsters is to simply ignore them. Imagine a world where keyboard gangsters made these comments and posts that are attention-seeking tactics, and literally no one acknowledged them. Imagine if no one makes them feel relevant. What if no one gives them a platform to debate, antagonize and polarize people? Remember social media algorithms increase visibility of a post based on the amount of commenting activity. Practice literally ignoring these people and encourage your family, friends and social media networks to do the same.
Do Report to An Employer. Most LinkedIn pages have an employer listed for the page owner. I am surprised at the number of people who list their employer on their Facebook or Twitter pages as well. Historically, the law has been somewhat of a slippery slope for employers who choose to take adverse employment actions against employees for inappropriate social media posts. However, freedom of speech rights do not extend to hate speech. Further, we’ve reached a moment in time when employers are prioritizing their brand and the company’s values over the risk of litigation. Companies across the country are bravely firing these keyboard gangsters for posting racist views that are grossly inconsistent with the company’s position on diversity, equity and inclusion. Take a brave anti-racist action and allot five minutes to report a keyboard gangster to their listed employer. Make it uncomfortable for people who express these views that will land them in the unemployment office. While termination of employment won’t change their racist views, facing consequences will shift behavior. They will stop posting this madness if we make it clear it is no longer okay.
Do Not Waste Your Energy or Brain Cells. It’s important not to get sucked into the emotional spiral of trying to understand or rationalize hate speech or other forms of harmful communications. It’s also wasted energy to attempt to have teaching moments with people, who are often strangers appearing in your feed, that have very deep-seeded hateful views. There is typically a commonality of background, educational level and lack of experiences that keyboard gangsters share. My late grandmother used to say, “You know he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.” I think of that saying when I read the illogical, misguided, uninformed and often grammatically incorrect statements and assertions riddled with misspellings that keyboard gangsters post. I also see through the smoke and mirrors of the “educated” keyboard gangster who uses big words and theoretical terms they’ve Googled to spew the same hateful views, but in a way that, in their minds, makes them sound smart. Nope, you can’t fool me nor waste my precious time.
Do Practice Mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, often used as a therapeutic technique. I challenge myself immediately to not respond to keyboard gangsters. I used to start typing replies right away, but now I rarely hit send before I shift to a state of mindfulness. As Mark Twain once said, “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”
So many of us are in a heightened emotional state right now. Stop. Breathe. Reflect. Release the anger and frustration that robs you of your joy and peace. Channel your good energy into actions and positive people who are seeking understanding and solutions.
