some of y'all never learned the sacred rule

please for the love of god DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS

seriously, i know the word "trolling" isn't in vogue anymore (but also hasn't been dead long enough to make its webcore Y2Kcore nostalgiacore comeback yet) but that doesn't make the sentiment any less true. some of y'all are falling for bait at every opportunity and its exhausting to watch. not that i want to watch people argue with trolls, but it's hard to avoid when y'all are constantly engaging and amplifying the voices of people who ought to just be blocked on sight

i don't want this to come off as a generic 'kids these days' rant. after all, the whole reason "don't feed the trolls" was said so often back ye olden times was because people kept feeding the trolls. but there was at least a general understanding that rising to the bait and arguing with people who were never interested in a genuine conversation was a really embarrassing thing to do. we used to make fun of people who got way too heated in anime forums because it went without saying that, even if you're 100% in the right, that sort of behaviour doesn't actually help anyone -- and even more damning, it's what lifeless losers do instead of going outside. which, okay, is probably a bit harsh, but is it completely undeserved?

but now it seems like finding the most outrageous take and arguing against it is just the thing you're expected to do on the internet. no wonder people keep saying the internet isn't fun anymore when everyone just keeps jumping from one ragebait to the next. i even see some people insisting not feeding the trolls is morally wrong because it signals silent approval (it's usually minors who think this way, thank fuck, but sometimes i see people in their early 20s making this argument. stop it. you're an adult. act like it. your brilliant clapback isn't as brilliant as you want to believe)

anyway im sure im just screaming into the void right now. if you're the kind of person who keeps feeding the trolls in the hopes of putting them in their place, i doubt there's anything i can say that wouldn't just sound condescending. not that ive made much of an effort to not sound condescending. i promise i don't think you're dumb or overly sensitive or whatever if you fall for bait once in a while. we've all been there. just try not to let it become a habit, yeah? your time and energy are too valuable to waste on dipshits

i don't feel much better after typing all this. i dont usually vent online and im not sure if i get the appeal. im gonna go log off and knit a sock or something