Misogynist Internet Conventions

Stephanie Guthrie discusses the invalidity of the 'don't feed the trolls' Internet tactic in her online feminism speech. When Internet users do not engage with comments or fellow users that have controversial views for the sole purpose of provoking a community, they are complicit in bigotry. She singles out trolling as being misogynistic and sexist behavior that would be considered completely inappropriate in real life, such as creating a website where people can punch a woman in the face whose feminist views you disagree with. She sees trolling as a larger societal problem indicative of larger prejudices.

According to her online feminism speech, trolling continues to happen due to social distance and an absence of consequences. However, offensive and derogatory online behavior can be combated as the nature of the Internet is visible and viral. She encourages people to speak out against misogyny through their social media platforms or relevant community forums.