Keyboard lions and haters offend others by hiding behind the screen. They can be ignored or countered with targeted strategies and interventions: here’s how. When it comes to cyberbullying, we often talk about keyboard lions or haters. These two “categories” represent a large part of the protagonists of violent behavior on the Internet. To learn how to defend yourself and respond to keyboard lions or haters, you must first know the meaning of these two terms.
These are similar terms, but they also have some distinctive characteristics. The haters are serial haters of the web: unscrupulous users who deliberately attack anyone they don’t like. From this point of view, their behavior is almost identical to those of keyboard lions. The term ” keyboard lions “, however, has a more marked nuance: it alludes much more clearly to the need of the cyberbully in question to hide behind a screen.
Haters also use the network as a hiding place, acting behind bogus profiles or accounts. In both cases, these are people who are unlikely to be able to offend someone outside the web deliberately. This is why the general advice to let their actions slip over you is often valid. Alternatively, it is still possible to apply different defense strategies: from asking for help to setting limits and preventive blocks on social networks.
Who Are Keyboard Lions And Haters
The term keyboard lions are used on the Internet to describe those who exploit the network to perpetrate violent behavior of various kinds. Keyboard lions attack those they identify as weaker in multiple ways. Their activity can range from the different manifestations of cyberbullying. In less severe cases, their behavior is “limited” to offending, denigrating, or marginalizing a user. In some cases, however, keyboard lions become the protagonists of much heavier crimes, such as identity theft or disseminating sensitive material without consent.
The wording “keyboard lions” is the English translation of the English ” keyboard warriors “, which means “keyboard warriors”. In both cases, the allusion is the same: the users in question are lions or warriors, only if they feel protected by a device’s screen. Keyboard lions hide behind a computer or smartphone and become the protagonists of violent behavior. On the other hand, the entire phenomenon of cyberbullying is closely linked to the perception of anonymity guaranteed by specific use of the network.
The violent take advantage of the Internet to create fake accounts and become protagonists of behaviors that they would hardly be able to sustain in a live confrontation. In conclusion, explaining the differences between keyboard lions and haters is undoubtedly helpful, even if the meaning is quite similar. The haters are the “haters” of the web and also draw strength from the illusion of invisibility guaranteed by the web. They are particularly aggressive users who create fake profiles and blatantly insult targeted subjects.
Often their intended victims are public figures of various kinds: for example, sportsmen or protagonists of the entertainment world. In other cases, their attacks may be aimed at much wider ranges. Haters can target people based on their sexual identity, ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs. The behavior of the haters translates into at least a more or less repeated defamation. In some cases, they can become the protagonists of much more severe harassment: from so-called cyberstalking to explicit threats.
How To Defend Yourself And How To Respond To Keyboard Lions And Haters
The first step to defending against keyboard haters and lions is understanding the problem’s scale. Cyberbullying is a vast social scourge. Only in India, almost one in five users declares to have experienced at least once a more or less severe form of discomfort on the Internet. Often the attack is aimed at the categories considered more fragile. In our country, for example, women are targeted more than men. Similarly, keyboard lions and haters shoot homosexuals, the disabled or even migrants.
The strategies for defending against online bullying involve many aspects, from the most technical to the behavioral one. In general, anyone who sees themselves as a victim of cyberbullying shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Declaring your condition and giving the names and surnames (real or fake) of the people involved is the best way to solve the problem. Also, there are several realities born precisely to support anyone who ends up under the attention of haters or keyboard lions in India. Anyone victim of keyboard lions or haters can turn to realities born to offer legal and emotional support.
Several common-sense tips can be applied in less severe circumstances: small tricks that allow the user to respond in kind to the attacker. For example, using the right mix of irony and self-irony is an approach that often ends up discouraging haters. Similarly, several people who have been victims of cyberbullying advise them to ignore the attacks as much as possible. This means avoiding fomenting discussions but, above all, avoiding feeding the mania of the protagonism of the keyboard lion on duty.
Finally, it is essential to remember that different social networks often allow you to prevent attacks or at least limit their damage. For example, you can make your profile set as “private”. Anyone who becomes the protagonist of incorrect behavior can be blocked. Or you can hide any particularly offensive messages or comments. Finally, some social networks propose filters specifically designed to neutralize violent words. The page or group administrators mainly choose this type of solution to moderate discussions, posts and comments in advance.
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