If you’ve ever had a post go viral, you’ve likely experienced some form of hate or disagreement in the comments. It can be tough to navigate negative interactions online, so here’s my best advice for handling these situations.
When we put effort into creating something, we often hope for praise and encouragement. But when someone comments with a different perspective or challenges our view, it can feel personal—even if it isn’t meant that way. Disagreement isn’t always hate, and in many cases, it can actually help your content perform better.
Examples:
Action: Engage thoughtfully. Explain your point of view if needed, but don’t become defensive. These discussions increase engagement and improve the visibility of your content, which is actually good for you.
Examples:
Action: Ignore them. These comments still count as engagement, so they help your post, but they don’t add any value at all to the conversation. So let them exist in your comment section, but don’t waste energy responding to them.
Examples:
Action: Never engage (unless you want to take a stand for what you think is right). Delete the comment and block the user if necessary. They don’t deserve your time or energy, and they have no place in your online space.
Not every disagreement is hate—many people just want to join the conversation, and it’s rarely about you personally. If you can strike a balance between allowing negative comments that are constructive criticism, and removing negative comments that are hateful, your online experience will become much healthier. Stay focused, engage where it matters, and don’t let other people's negativity dictate your mindset.