Trolling isn’t just an internet joke—it gets people killed.
In this episode of Stay in the Gray Podcast, Ryan digs into the real-world consequences of online harassment—from the deaths of Caroline Flack and Megan Meier to the digital mobs of GamerGate. What drives trolls? Why do platforms let it happen? And what can anyone do about it?
🎙 Topics include:
– Tragic outcomes from trolling and cyberbullying
– Why internet anonymity fuels cruelty
– Ryan’s personal encounters with online hate
– Legal challenges and what law enforcement can—and can’t—do
This episode doesn’t beg for sympathy. It demands accountability.
🔥 Hit Follow if you’re tired of watching people weaponize a Wi-Fi signal.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: The Impact of Yelling at Others
00:16 - Tragic Stories of Online Harassment
01:33 - Welcome to Stay in the Gray Podcast
02:13 - Exploring the World of Online Trolls
18:14 - Personal Reflections and Handling Trolls
29:03 - Conclusion: Dealing with Online Negativity
00:00:00
Do you feel better about? Yourself for yelling at people.
00:00:03
I mean, do you need that in your life?
00:00:04
And the answer may be yes. Will you admit it?
00:00:07
Probably not. But hey, I would respect the
00:00:09
hell out. Of you a lot more if you would
00:00:10
say. Yeah, you know what?
00:00:11
It is kind of fun and it makes me feel better about myself.
00:00:14
At least I can. Respect that, Caroline Flack.
00:00:17
Some of you may know this, some of you may not.
00:00:19
She's a British TV host. The tabloids blasted her.
00:00:22
Personal life. So much so that people were
00:00:26
telling. Her.
00:00:26
She should kill herself. So she did.
00:00:28
Everyone pretended to care at that .0 Maybe she had mental
00:00:32
issues. These were the very same
00:00:33
tabloids and the very same people who told her these
00:00:36
things. Who caused this second story?
00:00:38
Megan Meyer. 13 years old. She thought she was chatting
00:00:42
with a cute boy on Myspace. It's obviously.
00:00:46
Ages the story. But this ended up being a fake.
00:00:48
Account by a neighbour's mom. She lived down the street.
00:00:52
Her name was Lori Drew. And.
00:00:54
She flirted with this young girl pretending to be a boy, which is
00:00:58
sick enough. But she let.
00:01:00
It go and let it go and let it go and.
00:01:01
Then all. Of a sudden turned.
00:01:03
Me. Lastly, there was a big scandal
00:01:04
called Gamergate. In 2014 again.
00:01:07
I wasn't aware of these people in the gaming world and in
00:01:10
social media probably were more aware than I was there were
00:01:13
women. Who were doxed?
00:01:15
Harassed. And threatened.
00:01:16
With rape and murder, Zoe. Quinn, Anita.
00:01:19
Sarkeesian and Brianna Wu What 3 examples of this?
00:01:26
Find the light in the Gray, we'll find our sight real.
00:01:34
Man, welcome to stay in the Gray Podcast.
00:01:36
I'm your host, Ryan, and I'm here to bring you raw
00:01:39
conversations about life and those undeniable human truths.
00:01:43
We dive into the chaos 1 issue at a time, blaming comedy,
00:01:48
controversy, and the unexplainable Get ready for
00:01:55
transparent ideas straight from the Gray areas where most
00:01:59
answers. Are hiding, so stay curious.
00:02:03
Stay inquisitive, please stay laughing.
00:02:06
Stay in the Gray. Come check it out, We'll see
00:02:09
that. All right, hey everybody,
00:02:14
Episode 5 five. It is March the 24th, 2025.
00:02:20
Let's jump down the digital rabbit hole, shall we?
00:02:24
Where the trolls reside. And I don't mean the cute furry
00:02:28
fluffy ones from the animated hit film.
00:02:32
I mean these assholes on social media, in the comment section
00:02:37
and abroad. Who?
00:02:40
Wreck people's lives. Who make?
00:02:42
People's lives Hell. And in some cases have actually.
00:02:45
Led to the death. Of people.
00:02:48
It's not a fun. Topic I will.
00:02:50
Try and make it. As light hearted as.
00:02:52
I possibly can. Because there are.
00:02:55
Definitely different levels of trolling.
00:02:58
There are different levels of harassment, bullying if you want
00:03:04
to. Use that that word.
00:03:06
On social media, online, it's just kind of beyond me and I
00:03:12
need to take some time to discuss it.
00:03:15
I used to do. A a segment called the butthurt
00:03:17
comments to the show if anybody remembers that and I like to
00:03:21
bring them back to a point. But it it got so.
00:03:23
Overwhelming because they would bother me so much.
00:03:29
Fortunately, I'm learning to to ignore it and understand.
00:03:32
Who these people? Are and and what they do?
00:03:35
I've been reading up on different.
00:03:38
Studies about it. I've been reading up different
00:03:40
cases. I've just really.
00:03:42
Tried to take a deep breath. And learn how to handle this and
00:03:46
the best way to handle it is to not do anything.
00:03:50
The best way to handle it is just put a :) say thank you for
00:03:55
your interaction. A lot of times these people
00:03:59
don't understand that by interacting, they're actually
00:04:00
helping the very. People that they're.
00:04:02
Yelling at So again, thank you for that.
00:04:06
So welcome to Stanley Grey. Humanity is messy and the truth
00:04:12
is uglier than those comments on a political post.
00:04:15
So let's jump in trolling one O 1.
00:04:20
Let's talk about. Who trolls are?
00:04:23
Are they just bored? Are they just?
00:04:27
Insane. Do they have mental issues?
00:04:29
Is there something? About what they do.
00:04:32
That something about this process that makes them wake up
00:04:35
in the morning and just. Here we go.
00:04:39
Who? Am I going to find?
00:04:40
Who am I going to hurt? Who am I going?
00:04:42
To does it make? People feel tough.
00:04:45
Do you feel better about? Yourself for yelling at people.
00:04:49
I mean, do you need that in your life?
00:04:50
And the answer may be yes. Will you admit it?
00:04:52
Probably not. But hey, I would respect the
00:04:54
hell. Of you a lot more if you would
00:04:56
say, yeah, you know what, it is kind of fun and it makes me feel
00:04:59
better about myself. At least I can respect that so.
00:05:03
These people. You know they think.
00:05:05
That their. Opinion is worth more than your
00:05:10
Peace of Mind, and what I mean by that is.
00:05:14
If they disagree with something you say, which is.
00:05:16
Likely the reason for a lot of this if.
00:05:19
They don't like what you said. Or whatever.
00:05:22
And there's some that literally. You could you could do a a show
00:05:25
about. Cooking something and they would
00:05:27
tell you you did it wrong and that you're a piece of shit and
00:05:29
you need to rot in hell because you, you know, left that in the
00:05:33
oven longer than they would have.
00:05:36
Those are I just. Think we got to, we got to
00:05:39
ignore that, but it's these ones that come on here.
00:05:42
That if they disagree. With something that you say,
00:05:45
then all of a sudden it becomes an insult fest and it sets
00:05:51
people on on defense. And that's what happens with
00:05:54
that happened with me and I've admitted that to people.
00:05:56
I've been called out. By.
00:05:58
People close to me for my reactions and I'd like to think
00:06:04
that. I've reduced those by.
00:06:05
About 90% I really am not going to feed you anymore.
00:06:11
I will. Tell you that you have no
00:06:12
substance and I will tell you that like and subscribe and
00:06:16
check out other things that you don't like.
00:06:19
About what I say. Hit that like button or don't
00:06:22
even hit that like button. Just comment.
00:06:24
That's plenty. I'll take it.
00:06:26
But some of these people cross the line.
00:06:30
They go from snarky to sadistic, sarcastic to evil and.
00:06:38
It's it's those where. Dudes with usernames like.
00:06:44
XR2Q. Dragon Niner, Asterisk,
00:06:47
Asterisk. With a picture.
00:06:49
Of a fucking cat are talking shit.
00:06:54
It's those who yell. About the vaccines and feminism
00:06:59
and respecting the world and all of these things.
00:07:05
Meanwhile, they're not respecting you one bit.
00:07:10
So let's talk about some reality.
00:07:13
And this is the part that easily.
00:07:17
Could have eluded you if you didn't go looking for it I
00:07:22
wasn't Privy to social media news back in 2014, 2017, 2020
00:07:28
when these stories were going I just.
00:07:30
Started relatively. I'm a relatively.
00:07:33
New podcast. And hence, I'm still learning
00:07:38
about social media. So the story of Caroline Flack.
00:07:42
Some of you may know this, some of you may not.
00:07:44
She's a British TV. Host the tabloids blasted her
00:07:47
personal life so much so. That people.
00:07:51
Were telling her she. Should kill herself.
00:07:54
So she did, everyone pretended to care at that .0 Maybe she had
00:07:59
mental issues. These were the very same
00:08:00
tabloids and the very same people who told her these
00:08:04
things, who caused this, and now all of a sudden it.
00:08:07
Was oh wow, we should have got her.
00:08:10
Help. She had mental issues.
00:08:12
Hypocrisy at its finest, and we all know how.
00:08:15
I feel about hypocrites. Second story Megan Meyer. 13
00:08:19
years old. She thought she was chatting
00:08:22
with a cute boy on Myspace. This obviously.
00:08:26
Ages the story. But this ended up being a fake.
00:08:29
Account by a neighbour's mom who lived down the street.
00:08:34
Her name is Lori Drew and she flirted with this young girl
00:08:39
pretending to be a boy, which is which is sick enough.
00:08:43
But she let it. Go and let it go and let it go.
00:08:45
And then all. Of a sudden turned mean the boy,
00:08:49
the mom. AKA the boy.
00:08:52
Turned cruel and the last thing he said.
00:08:55
To her was the world would be better without you.
00:08:59
So she killed herself that day. If you need to know that again,
00:09:03
Laurie Drew. Was charged but.
00:09:05
It didn't stick very well. I don't know why.
00:09:10
Apparently this lorry lady was very creative and and how she
00:09:13
did this and so for whatever reason these charges didn't
00:09:16
stick. I think that's part of our
00:09:19
issue. Lastly, there was a big.
00:09:21
Scandal called Gamergate in 2014.
00:09:25
Again, I wasn't aware of this. People in the gaming world and
00:09:27
in social media probably were more aware than.
00:09:30
I was there were. Women who were doxed, harassed
00:09:34
and threatened. With rape and murder.
00:09:37
Zoe. Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian and
00:09:40
Brianna Wu are three. Examples of this and they.
00:09:45
Had to leave their homes. Because these trolls were.
00:09:48
Putting out their personal information on where they.
00:09:50
Lived and anything else you would possibly need to find.
00:09:55
So these people fled these. These women had to.
00:09:57
Flee. Here's what Zoe was was told you
00:10:00
were. One of the things you are the
00:10:03
reason that women get hit by men.
00:10:07
It's not very nice. Anita Sarkeesian was.
00:10:10
Told I will kill. You and your family OK when
00:10:15
you're being told this. Whether it's by a.
00:10:16
Troll or not, somebody that just sits behind their keyboard and
00:10:22
says these things, which is I would thank goodness, I don't
00:10:26
want to jinx it, but I'm pretty sure that that's 99.9% of these
00:10:29
people. But when people start putting
00:10:32
out your personal information and you're getting things like
00:10:35
I'm going to kill you and your family, it makes things a little
00:10:39
uneasy. It probably wrecks your life, at
00:10:41
least for a while there. Was a mass shooting.
00:10:44
Threat for. Anita for Anita Sarkeesian and
00:10:50
nothing happened. So they found the person and
00:10:55
nothing ended up happening. Because of twisted laws.
00:10:58
When it comes to digital rules, but.
00:11:03
Twitter. At the time decided.
00:11:05
To update their abuse. Reporting system I don't know I
00:11:09
you know is that a win maybe sorry my pages are stuck
00:11:13
together so here's an example of some of the I mean this stuff is
00:11:18
insane I'll rape you with a knife sounds like some old death
00:11:22
metal lyrics that I knew in high school here's another one you.
00:11:25
Deserve to die. In a ditch fem Nazi scum all
00:11:31
right. You should lose.
00:11:33
Your baby and then kill yourself.
00:11:37
Wow, I don't know. What these people could say to
00:11:40
deserve that? And I'm going to try and avoid
00:11:44
talking about current issues in our country and how they apply
00:11:49
to this. Because guess what?
00:11:50
I've seen some of this stuff being thrown about for somebody
00:11:56
saying that they like the president, for somebody saying
00:11:58
that they don't like the president, for somebody saying
00:12:01
we should defend Ukraine, for somebody saying we should not be
00:12:05
defending Ukraine. This.
00:12:07
Type of stuff is. Said If I look at you and I tell
00:12:11
you that I don't think that Vladimir Zelinsky is somebody we
00:12:15
need to be sending a ton of money.
00:12:17
To I could be say I could be told.
00:12:19
I'll rape you with a knife. What's the point?
00:12:24
Are you intellectual? Intellectually inferior to the
00:12:28
point to where you have nothing else to say, you can't have a
00:12:32
conversation, You can't say, well, I see your point or even
00:12:37
man, I just don't see your point.
00:12:39
But to tell me that you will rape me with a knife, what is
00:12:43
that going to do? Let's move on.
00:12:47
There was a woman named Anne Dunleavy, and she was, I guess
00:12:53
she was up in New Hampshire, if I'm not mistaken, and she was a
00:12:55
professor. And she was known for doing
00:12:59
these videos to Trump supporters, telling them that.
00:13:03
She will. Put them in a stretcher and a
00:13:07
bunch of other threatening messages and that's what.
00:13:12
She would do. She put those videos out.
00:13:14
Wasn't very smart, authorities can view.
00:13:18
That as a threat. If it comes becomes any more
00:13:20
personal than that, I just. I don't get it.
00:13:26
This woman probably has no idea. Why she's so upset?
00:13:30
Other than she's. Told to be that upset.
00:13:33
By family or paid pundits? The media.
00:13:38
Or the very people. That she claims to support and
00:13:41
this is not helping when it comes to.
00:13:45
These types of threats. Online, these types of comments
00:13:48
that people get, let's talk about the law enforcement.
00:13:52
The problem with this is that law enforcement is very
00:13:55
confused. I've researched this recently
00:13:57
when I was about to do this show.
00:13:59
I wanted to know. What?
00:14:02
What police officers? What FBI, what whatever law
00:14:07
enforcement agency there is that could possibly be involved?
00:14:11
I want to know what their thoughts are on this because it
00:14:14
just seems like it's not being harnessed very well.
00:14:18
And I understand there's a line. Where free speech is.
00:14:21
Involved. I get it.
00:14:23
It's the reason I'm still ecstatic that Elon.
00:14:26
Musk bought Twitter. And turned it to XI think there
00:14:30
is an element of free speech that needs to be there and we
00:14:33
all need to maybe not be as sensitive and understand that
00:14:39
these. People out here that.
00:14:40
Hide behind their keyboard are going to say some stuff and that
00:14:43
we should just turn the other way, yes.
00:14:46
I agree with that, but there is also a.
00:14:49
Line that can be crossed where it's not that simple and it's
00:14:52
not that easy. So where do where does law
00:14:54
enforcement come in? Who makes that decision and what
00:14:58
happens? My understanding is that there
00:15:01
it's very confusing with digital law.
00:15:04
The police, of course. In any investigative, you know,
00:15:07
department they need. IP addresses, server logs,
00:15:11
etcetera, etcetera. All the things.
00:15:13
That I don't know what they are and even if they find the troll,
00:15:17
if you will. The laws are very weird.
00:15:21
They're very. Soft and a lot of times there is
00:15:26
no, there's nothing set to where these people can get, they can
00:15:29
get away, they can get out. And that's what I was saying.
00:15:32
So free speech. Covers a whole lot.
00:15:34
Apparently, unless it's inciting violence.
00:15:36
But a lot of this is, I mean, even if I respond to somebody
00:15:39
and I'm like, you know, you should, you know, go to hell, I
00:15:42
mean, is that inciting violence? Not really.
00:15:44
But I mean, there's a lot that's on the line.
00:15:47
And so I see it every day and I guarantee.
00:15:50
You all. Of these people are not being
00:15:54
being rounded up so who's going to do that and how do we?
00:15:59
How do we control this a little? Bit better.
00:16:01
That's not it for me to decide. There is something called
00:16:04
swatting and I had no idea that you could even do this.
00:16:07
In fact, somebody tell me how you do this and please tell me
00:16:13
why. Let me just tell you what it is.
00:16:15
Swatting is an emergency call to send to SWAT team.
00:16:19
Really. Is the person or people
00:16:22
responsible for sending that SWAT team not going to check
00:16:26
into this to make sure it's legit?
00:16:29
If somebody called and said, hey, you better send a SWAT
00:16:31
team. Oh OK, we're on our way.
00:16:35
Reminds me of Christmas Vacation when they all jump in the
00:16:38
windows of the house just because somebody kidnapped the
00:16:40
guy down the street. The boss in the next
00:16:42
neighborhood over. Yes, it it warranted some police
00:16:46
involvement, but not in the entire SWAT team.
00:16:48
And this is what I'm talking about.
00:16:50
Check this out 2017 for those of you that did not know a man
00:16:54
named Andrew Finch. Was killed when police.
00:16:57
Stormed his home in a SWAT style.
00:17:01
RAID. This was an innocent man.
00:17:05
There was some dude he didn't. Even know that lost in a in a
00:17:08
game of Call of Duty, I don't know how you lose or what the
00:17:11
game even involves, but I know I've heard of it and I know that
00:17:14
a lot of people get in deep into these games, these role-playing
00:17:20
games, these war games. And this guy lost and tried to
00:17:25
swat, swatted the wrong guy. This, this Andrew guy wasn't
00:17:31
even playing the fucking game. This guy's SWAT team comes in
00:17:35
and kills him. Now I think that that SWAT team
00:17:38
and whoever needs to take some responsibility for that as well.
00:17:41
It's not just the guy, but the guy that called in because he
00:17:44
lost ultimately. Caused this guy to lose his
00:17:47
life. Because of the game, I just
00:17:50
don't get it. So this guy apparently was a
00:17:52
serial swatter. They called me say he did it a
00:17:53
couple times. Finally, he was convicted 20
00:17:56
years in in jail. Was that justice?
00:18:01
Some people say yes, but you know, Andrew Venge is still
00:18:05
dead, so I don't know. Over again.
00:18:10
Unbelievable. So let's turn the mirror around.
00:18:14
I. Couldn't do a show about this
00:18:15
without at least. Questioning my own tactics, my
00:18:19
own comments, my own responses. And any of you can go and you
00:18:24
can click on my X account and and look at my responses and you
00:18:28
can go, wow, see, Ryan's not very nice either.
00:18:31
Well, I'm going to go ahead and tell you.
00:18:34
That yeah, there are times that I wish that I could.
00:18:36
Pull back. I have.
00:18:39
I have promised my listeners transparency, so I'm trying not
00:18:42
to delete a bunch. I think I'm going to go and
00:18:46
delete some of them because of this this turn around this this
00:18:49
effort I'm making to. Be better.
00:18:53
But a lot of it was self. Defense, if you look and I think
00:18:57
it allows you to see the original post if somebody
00:19:00
comments to my material to my show at at the time we trade.
00:19:06
Our. Show people were were commenting
00:19:08
on these things. I take it personally I shouldn't
00:19:13
but I do. It's my show, these are my
00:19:15
opinions and some of the things that are said to.
00:19:18
Me were very. Obviously inappropriate.
00:19:20
They were stuff like what we're talking about.
00:19:22
And I get defensive. I need to understand, obviously,
00:19:27
that in this industry, it's going to happen and I need to
00:19:29
get over it or I'm not going to make it in this industry as I
00:19:32
continue to grow. So I asked myself, you know, am
00:19:36
I? Do I have trollish
00:19:38
characteristics? And.
00:19:40
You know, something like. This podcast is trash.
00:19:44
This is somebody's passion project.
00:19:46
You know I'm able. To get over it.
00:19:49
Because there are plenty of positive comments, but are you
00:19:52
really going to say that? What's the point?
00:19:54
That's my question. What is the point of saying that
00:19:56
to somebody? Does it make you?
00:19:58
Feel better? Do you think that this one
00:20:00
comment will make the person quit?
00:20:02
Why? Do you really want them to quit?
00:20:04
Does it bother you that much that this person has a podcast?
00:20:07
And I'm using. That as an example.
00:20:08
Because it hits home. Questions about.
00:20:10
You know I mean. If you have like a a.
00:20:13
Somebody posting? Their their damn cat and then
00:20:16
you get. Lectured by somebody about.
00:20:18
How morally wrong. It is to to keep a cat inside.
00:20:23
Or something along those lines. So it's it's people that respond
00:20:25
with their own opinions. About morals and ethics.
00:20:29
And things like that when you post something as as simple.
00:20:33
As your cute cat. Running around what's?
00:20:36
The point? Are you really?
00:20:39
Trying to save cats freedoms. Are you?
00:20:43
You know, I understand if somebody.
00:20:44
Puts a video. Out.
00:20:45
They're fair game. That's I get it.
00:20:48
I understand that, but I'm trying to get in the in your
00:20:51
mindset. As a.
00:20:52
Troll. And to understand that how, you
00:20:54
know, have I ever done something like that where I'm.
00:20:56
Looking at a video and I'm like. The only ones.
00:20:59
Obviously are probably more political and.
00:21:02
Social issues that have. Engulfed our country since all
00:21:09
of these worldwide. Events and all these.
00:21:11
Domestic events, including the election, have continued to
00:21:14
divide so. Yes, I see something.
00:21:17
That I feel is completely incorrect.
00:21:20
That's echo chamber material. That's just pure slander.
00:21:26
That's fault of these. False narratives that like.
00:21:28
To be pushed. And I get upset.
00:21:31
And so besides that, I'm not. Going to look.
00:21:33
At somebody and say. You know BMX biking is stupid.
00:21:37
Why do you why do you post this video?
00:21:39
That bike sucks. I'm not that guy.
00:21:42
But there are people that do. And I just encourage.
00:21:45
You all to avoid. Those people and move on and
00:21:48
just say thanks for your interest in BMX biking.
00:21:52
Let's move on. And then of course, the the the
00:21:55
bad one that. I have seen.
00:21:59
Fortunately, it doesn't. Happen to me a.
00:22:00
Lot. You can.
00:22:02
Now I'm going to get a bunch of these comments and you can agree
00:22:05
or disagree that I'm. Fortunate.
00:22:07
I'm fortunate to have a a voice and a look that doesn't, that
00:22:13
doesn't. Draw in negative comments I
00:22:18
don't get. A lot.
00:22:19
I've had them before. Trey and I both got them and you
00:22:21
know. Called us different things and
00:22:23
we made fun of it because. That's easier to do.
00:22:27
For me now, for a lot of people, it's not it's.
00:22:29
Insecurities that people have. About themselves.
00:22:32
And so if somebody comes on here and makes fun of somebody's
00:22:35
voice or. Makes fun of somebody's face.
00:22:37
Or says their nose. Is big.
00:22:39
Both Trey and I have big noses. If if you're going to make fun
00:22:42
of those things, it it really can have effect on somebody and
00:22:45
what's the fucking point? What are you doing?
00:22:48
Are you I? Mean I'm talking about.
00:22:50
People that literally haven't. Have not even talked to this
00:22:52
person. There's no conversation going
00:22:54
on. And they're and they're.
00:22:55
They're attacking their their. Their.
00:22:58
Appearance and it's different if they have a funny shirt on or or
00:23:03
a or something that's obvious. That they're trying to do.
00:23:06
You can do all you want. But if I'm sitting here and
00:23:09
you're. 1st. Your first thing to say to me is
00:23:12
something that attacks my appearance.
00:23:15
You know, who are you And, and it's all these people hiding
00:23:17
behind profile pictures. That aren't even real.
00:23:21
I guarantee you there's a reason that you're doing that to
00:23:23
people, and it's because you're not really.
00:23:24
Happy with yourself when you. Look in the mirror.
00:23:27
So stop it. I mean, these are the ones that
00:23:29
get me anyway, those things that I just mentioned.
00:23:34
Are troll behavior if you. Feel like you've done any of
00:23:36
those things or want to do any of those things?
00:23:39
You're probably. On the line of being a troll and
00:23:44
I and being aware of this and I'm acknowledging what being a
00:23:48
troll is and I'm not going to do it.
00:23:50
I just don't. So there is something called
00:23:53
online disinhibition effect. I don't know if.
00:23:57
Anybody's heard of that? I sure as hell.
00:23:59
Hadn't, but it's being anonymous that makes somebody.
00:24:05
Lose their real life filter. To other people.
00:24:09
So instead of talking to you know, Mike from accounting at
00:24:12
the water. Cooler.
00:24:13
You're now talking to. Dragon Slayer O Six with a
00:24:17
profile. Picture that that.
00:24:18
You don't know, and he's not afraid to tell you.
00:24:20
That you know your. Dad should have pulled.
00:24:22
Out and and distributed into a. Napkin or some bullshit?
00:24:25
Like that? It's completely insulting
00:24:29
because he's hiding in an anonymity.
00:24:32
Is that the right word? Cut that, boys.
00:24:34
He's he's, he's being anonymous. And so he's.
00:24:36
He's able to. To hide.
00:24:39
It's easy to say you're not going to tell Mike at the water.
00:24:42
Cooler those words. Unless you wanted some sort of
00:24:45
altercation. And so that's called online disc
00:24:48
inhibition effect. It's a real thing.
00:24:51
Look at it. So the other problem with all of
00:24:56
this, and, and it's, it's an obvious problem and it's one
00:24:59
that that I am battling every day with this is, is that the
00:25:04
Internet? Rewards this type of outrage.
00:25:08
It rewards via algorithms to help people grow.
00:25:13
All these platforms want is interaction.
00:25:17
They want. People to be on.
00:25:19
Them the longer. People, watch your videos.
00:25:23
Or. Read your posts or respond to
00:25:26
your posts. The more.
00:25:28
Likes you get. And so on and so forth.
00:25:31
The more you're you will grow. The.
00:25:34
Algorithms will be triggered that includes these types of
00:25:38
interactions, these types of comments.
00:25:41
So if you go on and you're you're yelling at somebody.
00:25:45
All of a. Sudden you're rewarded for that
00:25:48
and it's tough there. There's a phrase in in this
00:25:51
industry that. Says Rage is a.
00:25:52
Platform's revenue. I can't argue.
00:25:56
With that, so I'll post an opinion, Somebody calls me a
00:26:01
moron, I say no, you're the moron.
00:26:04
And we're both interacting and both growing with the
00:26:10
algorithms. And so.
00:26:13
The problem is, is that you'll get these, you know, violates
00:26:17
community guidelines, which I, I deal with all the time with
00:26:21
TikTok and some of these other ones that say, hey, look, you
00:26:25
know, this isn't cool, even though I'm not going to lie.
00:26:28
To you TikTok. I see.
00:26:30
Some of the comments I get are insane compared.
00:26:34
To what I get flagged for. So either it's just me or
00:26:39
you're. Flagging a shit a shit load of
00:26:40
people. So I don't know how to work
00:26:43
around that and I I I have no idea why.
00:26:46
You're as difficult. As you are, you cannot have
00:26:50
trigger words without context. It's beyond me.
00:26:58
And so these. Trolls, they're really good at.
00:27:00
At coding it, I mean someone can tell you to.
00:27:02
Go fuck yourself. And rot in hell.
00:27:05
But they do it with. Certain codes and and.
00:27:08
Figures. That that don't basically they
00:27:11
get around the algorithm and so they're not flagged.
00:27:14
So that's one way that it happens.
00:27:17
I just feel like. These people.
00:27:19
Put as much effort into contributing to.
00:27:21
To society as they do into. Decoding.
00:27:24
Telling someone to die then. Perhaps it will be a better
00:27:27
place. So you know.
00:27:33
I don't know what. To say at this point, what do we
00:27:35
do? I mean simply what I have down
00:27:37
here. What do we?
00:27:39
Do about this. Can we strengthen laws?
00:27:41
I don't think so. Maybe you can clarify, you can
00:27:45
we can have some clarity on the laws to where law enforcement
00:27:48
when it comes to digital harassment.
00:27:50
Digital threats. And these types of things can be
00:27:54
handled more effectively. Maybe it would.
00:27:58
Thwart a little bit of it. The obvious thing is just to, to
00:28:02
mute or to block again. I mean, I hate to do that
00:28:05
because I, I, I really don't like to.
00:28:08
I preach on this show. That we should all talk to.
00:28:10
Each other again. That we should all.
00:28:12
Laugh. And here I am blocking people.
00:28:14
At a certain point, it's too much.
00:28:17
At a certain point, there's nothing else that you're going
00:28:18
to offer. Are you going to change my mind?
00:28:20
Probably not. And if we've gone back and forth
00:28:23
37 times and you're repeating stuff and then you're branching
00:28:26
out into stuff that doesn't even make any sense when it comes to
00:28:28
the initial post, it's time. And I'll say, OK, go move on.
00:28:34
We're done. We're done.
00:28:35
And it just doesn't stop. Sometimes you have.
00:28:37
To pull the trigger. On that block.
00:28:41
I mean, what, Take a walk every time somebody comments and just
00:28:45
take a deep breath and say I'm good.
00:28:50
This person just told me to to die because I said this movie
00:28:53
was was better than this movie. I'm going to go ahead and take a
00:28:56
walk, take a breath and remove. This person.
00:29:00
From my life, and that's a good idea as well.
00:29:03
In my advice is simple, people who are innocent on social
00:29:08
media, there are a lot of us. I now view myself as innocent
00:29:13
people. I'm at least aware of what I've
00:29:17
done in poorly in the past when it comes to the comment section
00:29:22
and I'm working on being better. There's something to say for
00:29:24
that in my opinion. The innocent people who are out
00:29:28
there that come across this, please ignore them.
00:29:33
Please do not let. It affect your life.
00:29:36
Do not let it trickle down to your.
00:29:37
Kids to your wife or husband or parents.
00:29:42
Or anybody in your. Life.
00:29:43
That you care about. It trickles down.
00:29:48
I've been very, very. Upset before by.
00:29:50
Comments made to me, I don't take it out 100% but but my my
00:29:55
demeanor and my attitude changes towards my my.
00:29:58
Beautiful boys. And where I would normally be a
00:30:01
fun dad in the evening after school, I am worried about what
00:30:05
I'm going to, how I'm going to respond to these assholes.
00:30:09
And that is why the main reason why I looked into this, why I
00:30:15
want to talk about this, why I want to make a 30 minute.
00:30:18
Show about this. It is serious and these.
00:30:22
People are are complete. Assholes, and a lot of them are
00:30:27
bots. I talked about AI last last.
00:30:30
Show and a couple shows back from that and and I'm sure that
00:30:34
I still don't understand how that works.
00:30:35
I don't understand how a bot can register what I'm saying
00:30:39
emotionally and then respond. It's something that I need to.
00:30:42
To learn more about. But I, I get that some of it's
00:30:44
out there. So remember that if you're one
00:30:47
of the innocent people I I'm referring to, remember that that
00:30:51
you might even be, you might be affected so, so much by a bot.
00:30:57
And if it's not a bot and it is a person that hides behind the.
00:30:59
Keyboard They're losers. Complete and utter losers.
00:31:04
They sit in the basement with their popcorn and their ugly.
00:31:07
Ass faces and this. Is what makes them feel better.
00:31:11
Forget them. And for the.
00:31:12
Trolls, you'll get yours. I believe in karma.
00:31:17
I've seen it to a point, everybody.
00:31:19
Probably has you'll get yours. I despise what you do.
00:31:24
And all you. Do is wake up?
00:31:27
And hurt people and I'm not OK with that.
00:31:31
And if I was? Able to label you.
00:31:34
And distinguish you and make laws just for you.
00:31:40
Then all of us would stop. Because it would be harsh.
00:31:42
So that's all I've got, I hope at.
00:31:45
Least it makes people think the next time you're on social
00:31:47
media, I mean, it happens. It's even on Facebook.
00:31:49
It's even on the basic Instagram.
00:31:51
You're posting pictures and you get random people that are just
00:31:53
come out of. I know people make their
00:31:55
accounts private and I know they do this and I get it.
00:31:58
There's way to ways to shield all of this.
00:32:01
And that's great and take those initiatives if if you feel like
00:32:04
you need to. But for anybody else, I can't do
00:32:07
that. I'm trying to.
00:32:09
To reach people. And talk to people, entertain
00:32:12
people. I can't just.
00:32:14
Put up a shield. So anybody like me who is trying
00:32:19
to at least. Spread.
00:32:20
Or or doesn't have those, you know, guards on their accounts
00:32:26
just walk away and move on. So with that being said, hope
00:32:31
you enjoy this a little bit and made you think and hopefully
00:32:34
made it made somebody. Feel better somebody that had
00:32:37
dealt with this before. It makes me feel better.
00:32:40
To talk about it because. I can't tell how.
00:32:42
Many days I've had where. You know, comments get me, get
00:32:45
me down, and it's not fun. So again, as always, stay
00:32:52
inquisitive, stay laughing, stay in the grave.
00:32:59
Love you guys.