After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit social media, how internet trolls affect victims’ mental health and tips to combat them

It’s hard to imagine life without the internet. But while the online world provides many benefits, one of its biggest drawbacks is trolls: the army of keyboard cowards who sit behind their desks and fire off hate, usually under fake names, who can cause their victims physical and psychological harm.

It’s no wonder high-profile people and celebrities have been known to pull the plug on their social media accounts in response. In 2017, British singer Ed Sheeran quit Twitter citing overwhelming abuse from trolls, while Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown deleted her account in 2018 after becoming the subject of a homophobic meme.

At the weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were abandoning social media due to the amount of “hate” they received. According to media reports, the couple are “very unlikely” to return to social media platforms.

Markle – who says she was the most trolled person in the world in 2019 – has described her trolling as “almost unsurvivable”, while Prince Harry issued an unprecedented statement in 2016 denouncing “the sexism and racism of social media trolls”.

Trolling is a form of cyberbullying that can damage mental health, leading to disrupted sleep, lowered self-esteem, depression, self-harm, and in some cases, even suicide.

“It might seem like there are no consequences of trolling, due to the anonymity that the internet can provide, but there are consequences for the person who is targeted,” says Quratulain Zaidi, a clinical psychologist and founder of MindnLife, a psychology practice in Hong Kong’s Central district. “Trolling can cause heightened levels of anxiety and lower self-esteem for the victim. In extreme cases, the impact on peoples’ mental and emotional health can lead to depression and suicidal behaviours.”