Editor's comment: Watch out for the trolls

One dark area which has reared its ugly head in lockdown more than usual is the world of the online troll.

You know who I mean; those people who sit on a keyboard or a mobile and spout at best misinformed rubbish or, worse, malicious filth about another person or their views.

I suppose you can put a keyboard in front of any monkey and it will happily tap away.

To some, it’s water off a duck’s back. Others really take the comments to heart, agonise over every word and stress over hidden meanings.

I turned off comments on our websites many moons ago. Look at Instagram and Facebook – misinformation and disinformation is sadly rife.

Sometimes, saying nothing can be the best policy. When material is approaching libel or profane or anything other than constructive, well those comments are deleted swiftly.

I do get easily weary these days of everyone being an expert in most things; but my worry is for the young, those suffering from anxiety – comments which attack these members of society are not just loathesome but verge on bullying of the worst type.

We all need to be aware of the consequences of a cursory comment or non-constructive quip; how would we feel it that was aimed at us or our loved ones?

Barry Peters, Editor