How do you deal with offensive comments on social media? Ironically, I found myself looking for answers while listening to Keala Settle singing “This is Me,” from The Greatest Showman. So, what can you do when the “sharpest words” want to cut you down? The song inspired me to develop three techniques to defend against offensive comments.
Techinque#1: Fight Fire With Water
You don’t fight profanity with more profanity. You show everyone that proper language can be powerful. So, I unblocked the user, and I replied to his nasty comment saying, “ Your reply is a great reflection of your standards and who you are.” I felt my reply embraced the second part of Keala’s song, “ look out ’cause here I come, I am not scared to be seen. Suddenly, the second part of the song was more meaningful to me.
Useful Tips for Techinque#1
- Utilize powerful and short messages to show how high your standard is compared to the attacker’s standards.
- Reply even if it is after a couple of days. Often, people say, “I didn’t know what to say at the moment, so I kept quiet about it.” You can always address it at a later time.
Techique#2: Reassert Your Point
I restated my comments on the same Instagram post and this time. I detailed it with a suitable emoji. My objective was and still is to assert my right to comment on social media without being bullied.
Tips To Enhance Techinque#2
- Use powerful adjectives to strengthen your message and fine-tune it.
- Utilize emojis to reflect the tone of your message. For example, I used the flower emoji to express thanks, appreciation, and admiration.
Techinque#3 Create Your Post Against Offensive Online Use.
I created my own Instagram post that reads, “ Say no to using female body parts as insults.” So far, I have received positive feedback from Instagrammers, some of them went as far as checking my blog and reading from it.
I became invested in the issue of using female genitals as an insult, and I want to raise awareness about it. As a woman, I feel that using these sexist and derogatory remarks to humiliate women equals using the N-word and it should be perceived as such.
Tips to Enhance Techinque# 3
- Use attractive cold combinations and a nice readable font to develop your message.
- Be original and bold about your message. Google your statement to see if it was used before and in what context.
