Trolls are not misguided people who accidentally hurt your feelings. They are rage-filled narcissists who want two things: your attention and your pain. Any response you can think of just gives them what they want.
When you argue, they rejoice that you care about their opinion. When you complain that it hurts, they revel in your agony. When others leap in to explain how traumatizing this all is, they’re even more satisfied — now they have everyone’s attention! The only way to punish trolls is to refuse to acknowledge that they exist. Better yet, don’t care.
Of course, I understand that it takes an unusually thick skin, or long experience, to shrug off so many people saying such amazingly awful things. But for the inexperienced, there is a technology hack that lets you simulate not caring: Turn off social media, and if necessary, email and your phone, until the trolls run out of steam.
If you are subjected to mass attack, you should use this trick. If you see someone else in this position, you should encourage them to take a break rather than make things worse.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member