It never fails.
Just when she thinks her shift is over and she’s in the clear, one last emergency rolls in.
It’s alright. Such is the life of an ER doc.
No matter who rolls through those doors, she provides uncompromising care on her shift.
She gets ready to save a life. 1/
Just when she thinks her shift is over and she’s in the clear, one last emergency rolls in.
It’s alright. Such is the life of an ER doc.
No matter who rolls through those doors, she provides uncompromising care on her shift.
She gets ready to save a life. 1/
Later on she’s finally home, unwinding.
She lives with her cat, Reginald P. Catterson (Reggie for short), in a high-rise apartment near the medical center.
The city skyline shimmers through large windows lining her living room.
She signs on to Twitter, sitting on the couch. 2/
She lives with her cat, Reginald P. Catterson (Reggie for short), in a high-rise apartment near the medical center.
The city skyline shimmers through large windows lining her living room.
She signs on to Twitter, sitting on the couch. 2/
She’s been on Twitter for several years, but still considers herself a newbie.
Her avatar is Reggie, in one of his more photogenic moments.
She has six followers, four of whom are probably bots and one is her ex-husband, who she can’t quite bring herself to block. 3/
Her avatar is Reggie, in one of his more photogenic moments.
She has six followers, four of whom are probably bots and one is her ex-husband, who she can’t quite bring herself to block. 3/
She posts randomly. Sometimes she’ll tweet about her day, or Reggie.
Nobody ever likes anything she posts. That’s okay. She’s not looking for attention.
But sometimes it does sting a little.
She liked her own pinned tweet, “Be Kind”, just to give it a single like. 4/
Nobody ever likes anything she posts. That’s okay. She’s not looking for attention.
But sometimes it does sting a little.
She liked her own pinned tweet, “Be Kind”, just to give it a single like. 4/
But something miraculous has happened since the last time she checked in on her account.
She has gone viral.
A comment she made on a political post has caught everyone’s fancy.
She hit that mythical jackpot, the intersection of luck and timing that sent her tweet soaring. 5/
She has gone viral.
A comment she made on a political post has caught everyone’s fancy.
She hit that mythical jackpot, the intersection of luck and timing that sent her tweet soaring. 5/
Her eyes are wide.
She has HUNDREDS of notifications. THOUSANDS of likes and retweets.
She has over 100 followers!
“Holy crap,” she whispers to herself. Reggie meows his acknowledgment, resting on her thigh.
She starts reading the comments, a dazed smile on her lips. 6/
She has HUNDREDS of notifications. THOUSANDS of likes and retweets.
She has over 100 followers!
“Holy crap,” she whispers to herself. Reggie meows his acknowledgment, resting on her thigh.
She starts reading the comments, a dazed smile on her lips. 6/
The overwhelming majority of the things people are saying are kind, or funny, or encouraging.
But... there’s also a sinister undercurrent.
Some people are lashing out against her. Insulting her.
She bites her lip, reading some of the harsher comments.
They’re hurtful. 7/
But... there’s also a sinister undercurrent.
Some people are lashing out against her. Insulting her.
She bites her lip, reading some of the harsher comments.
They’re hurtful. 7/
She’s read about these people.
Trolls, she thinks they’re called.
Her account is anonymous, but now she’s getting DMs threatening her workplace.
Suddenly her little apartment feels vulnerable. Her mouth is dry. Tears make her vision blur.
What’s going on? Who are they? 8/
Trolls, she thinks they’re called.
Her account is anonymous, but now she’s getting DMs threatening her workplace.
Suddenly her little apartment feels vulnerable. Her mouth is dry. Tears make her vision blur.
What’s going on? Who are they? 8/
One of them is a man who happens to live in the same city as her, though he doesn’t know it.
He is a father of two little girls and is happily married.
To make a little money on the side, he signed up for a “social media” job a friend led him to.
He’s paid to troll. 9/
He is a father of two little girls and is happily married.
To make a little money on the side, he signed up for a “social media” job a friend led him to.
He’s paid to troll. 9/
Of course, it’s all quite hush hush. In fact he’s not even sure who’s hiring him. He just gets a list of accounts to target, using a list of “shadow accounts” on multiple devices
VPNs, IP scramblers, firewalls, he uses every trick.
He’s paid $2000 a month to do this. 10/
VPNs, IP scramblers, firewalls, he uses every trick.
He’s paid $2000 a month to do this. 10/
It’s easy money, and he rationalizes it by thinking to himself that he’s helping spur conversation.
He’s the “opposing viewpoint” that everyone needs to hear, poking holes in their safe zones and snowflakey jingoistic garbage.
And yeah, he enjoys it.
It’s so easy. 11/
He’s the “opposing viewpoint” that everyone needs to hear, poking holes in their safe zones and snowflakey jingoistic garbage.
And yeah, he enjoys it.
It’s so easy. 11/
As a troll, he never has the burden of proof. He can make whatever accusations he wants. He risks nothing in the exchange.
He has become practiced at name-calling. At finding vulnerabilities and exploiting them. He knows what threats bring what responses.
He’s a pro. 12/
He has become practiced at name-calling. At finding vulnerabilities and exploiting them. He knows what threats bring what responses.
He’s a pro. 12/
Sure his accounts get banned, but he’s got plenty more. He’s supplied with them, and passwords.
The thought has crossed his mind from time to time; who is he working for?
But money is money, and they’re just words after all.
If you let them hurt you, well that’s on you. 13/
The thought has crossed his mind from time to time; who is he working for?
But money is money, and they’re just words after all.
If you let them hurt you, well that’s on you. 13/
And so he doesn’t particularly care that the avalanche of responses he is unleashing from multiple accounts, targeting a viral tweet by a woman, will end up bringing her to tears.
His wife asks him now and then what exactly he DOES to make that extra money.
He lies, always. 14/
His wife asks him now and then what exactly he DOES to make that extra money.
He lies, always. 14/
Normally he’ll spend an entire evening trolling specific tweets and users that are on his target list.
But today he promised his little girls a trip to the neighborhood park. It’s getting late in the day but the sun is still out.
The family gets in the car, and sets out. 15/
But today he promised his little girls a trip to the neighborhood park. It’s getting late in the day but the sun is still out.
The family gets in the car, and sets out. 15/
At the park, even while his girls are running around, he’s on the Twitter app having meaningless arguments. Getting people to chase him down endless rabbit holes.
“Daddy, put down your phone and catch me!”
His eldest daughter wants attention.
He complies, chasing her. 16/
“Daddy, put down your phone and catch me!”
His eldest daughter wants attention.
He complies, chasing her. 16/
The chest pain, after a few minutes of running, is unlike anything he’s ever felt.
It’s crushing, heavy, hard to breathe.
He’s seeing stars, and stumbles to his knees, before collapsing.
His daughters scream.
His wife dials 911.
His vision swims in and out of focus. 17/
It’s crushing, heavy, hard to breathe.
He’s seeing stars, and stumbles to his knees, before collapsing.
His daughters scream.
His wife dials 911.
His vision swims in and out of focus. 17/
The ambulance arrives and the EMS team works quickly.
He is given meds, and feels a little better as they put him on the stretcher.
Sirens wail.
He is brought to the hospital.
An emergency room doctor will greet him here.
Someone who has yet to read his insults for her. 18/
He is given meds, and feels a little better as they put him on the stretcher.
Sirens wail.
He is brought to the hospital.
An emergency room doctor will greet him here.
Someone who has yet to read his insults for her. 18/
It never fails.
Just when she thinks her shift is over and she’s in the clear, one last emergency rolls in.
It’s alright, such is the life of an ER doc.
No matter who rolls through those doors, she provides uncompromising care on her shift.
She gets ready to save a life. 19/
Just when she thinks her shift is over and she’s in the clear, one last emergency rolls in.
It’s alright, such is the life of an ER doc.
No matter who rolls through those doors, she provides uncompromising care on her shift.
She gets ready to save a life. 19/
The next day she comes to work. A sick knot lingers in her stomach.
Her experience being trolled has shaken her.
When the ground shifts beneath your feet, your foundations feel the tremor.
She breathes deeply and focuses on the day ahead.
Nobody can tell her who she is. 20/
Her experience being trolled has shaken her.
When the ground shifts beneath your feet, your foundations feel the tremor.
She breathes deeply and focuses on the day ahead.
Nobody can tell her who she is. 20/
All day she does what she knows best: doctoring.
Interacting with real people, real problems, and making real connections.
At the end of her shift she remembers the heart attack patient from last night. She asks about him.
He’s okay.
Her smile returns, and she knows peace.
Interacting with real people, real problems, and making real connections.
At the end of her shift she remembers the heart attack patient from last night. She asks about him.
He’s okay.
Her smile returns, and she knows peace.
