Who Are You Talking to on Social Media?

Social media is a great place to meet people or talk about your favorite TV show with a large group of strangers, but you should be wary of others on social media sites/apps such as Twitter. There is a large number of people engaging in sociopathic behavior, making your trip into social cyberspace risky. Here are six of the most common types of people you should try to avoid.

Trolls

Unfortunately, social media sites are crawling with sociopathic trolls. Where does the term “troll” come from? Trolls are commonly known from fairy tales for luring unsuspecting peasants to their bridge before springing their traps. A troll on social media will do something very similar.

Normally, a troll will lure you into following them by being nice and engaging in normal conversation. As soon as you let your guard down, they’ll be begin insulting you and using anything said in private against you. They’ll even get their group of trolls after you as well.

The best way to defend against a troll attack is to block and ignore. The troll thrives on confrontation, so it is best not to engage them. If you block and ignore, they will move on to the next target.

Catfish

There is a big difference between a catfish and a troll. A catfish is a person pretending to be someone else (typically a man pretending to be a woman). A catfish, like a troll, will try to get you to let your guard down and give them personal information they can use against you.

Not everyone on social media is who they say they are, so the best way to defend against a catfish is to be on your guard when talking to new people. If you start to feel as if you are being catfished, use the same strategy as you would with a troll: block and ignore.

White Knights

A white knight on twitter can be worse than a troll, depending on the situation. A white knight is basically one who will fight the trolls for the sake of someone else who is being “trolled,” even if you are not asking for it (almost always if you’re a female). A white knight is not your friend, even though they will always come off that way. They only defend for the sole purpose of making their follower count grow.

The “block and ignore” technique can be used on a white knight as well. You can keep them around if you don’t mind someone fighting for your honor for the sake of making themselves look good to your followers and theirs, but that kind of attention can get old quickly.

Alts

“Alt” is short for “Alternative Account.” In short, it’s an account used by a nameless individual for the purpose of posting material they wouldn’t want associated with their own account.

Who uses alt accounts? A troll will use an alt account to spy on someone who blocked them or continue said trolling. Aggressive trolls can have multiple accounts at their disposal. These are pretty hardcore sociopaths we are talking about here, so be wary of any new “friends” that pop up after you’ve blocked a troll.

A white knight uses alt accounts for the purpose of spying on the trolls they have blocked (mostly to see if they are still talking about them). White knights are insecure about how they come off to their followers, and will take huge steps to protect their self-image.

Joshes

Who, or what, is a josh? A josh is a guy who messages every female follower he can get in his search for companionship. He often has a sad story to accompany his messages. Joshes cast their nets wide, entrapping as many females as possible. There is a void to be filled, so be wary of getting hooked by a josh and spending hour upon hour of talking about his feelings.

The Unhappily Married

The most commonly found type of person on social media is the unhappily married. Whether it’s the truth or a lie, you will undoubtedly come across a man or woman in a loveless or boring marriage, who craves companionship from strangers on the Internet. This kind of e-relationship ends in the married person disappearing (usually from deleting his or her account when the spouse becomes suspicious), or simply ending it when they decide that their marriage is more important than a stranger with whom they traded stories (and maybe photos). There are rare occasions when the exchanges have turned into affairs and ended marriages, and nobody wants to be part of that.

There may be no avoid these six types of people on social media, but once you know how to identify and deal with them, your experience will more enjoyable. Be careful what you say and to whom you say it, and you will do alright.

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