Ever since the birth of social media, harassment has been an issue clearly prevalent among users. Often times trolling is mistaken for actual criticism, but is it possible for the opposite to be true? Recently, I’ve noticed an increase in people claiming victimhood when people are genuinely criticizing them online.

Trolling is a slang term used for when people intentionally harass others online for either their own entertainment or to get attention. Trolling is a form of cyberbullying or online harassment; it’s a legitimate issue that happens online. However, in today’s very partisan and divisive social climate the claims of harassment are increasing, but are the online “Trolls” the real issue? Many people make giving criticism a central part of their job, Youtubers and online content creators are the most predominant group that do this, and yet these people are often labeled as “trolls”.

One such creator is Daft Pina, a youtube content critic, who is famous for his animation channel reviews. Daft Pina often gives criticism to various animation channels on how they are capable of improving their channel. Despite this, many of those who he has given criticism to claim he is a troll and that he does not really want their channels to improve. Tabbes, Spechie, and Cypherden are various Youtubers who have accused Daft Pina of being a troll and even went as far as to block him when he wanted to ask them about if they wanted advice on their channels. However, Youtubers like Chillypanda, Gingerpale, and Infamous Swoosh have all thanked Daft Pina as a source of good constructive criticism and of being the reason much of their content improved.

I believe it’s about time we stop accusing critics of being trolls and we begin to mature as a society. With cyberbullying and harassment being one of the most predominant issues we face in the modern age. Countless creators are actually targeted by trolls and those who wish to harass others online, so why do we run away when legitimate criticism is thrown our way. I believe the term “special snowflake” is what best describes those who reject any real criticism. Just like a snowflake they have fragile egos that they won’t let anyone harm, yet this is what holds us back. I believe that only after accepting criticism from people like Daft Pina will we ever improve our writing, artistic, or any other skill we are trying to cultivate.