Silence really is golden on Twitter. If only real life had a mute button

Social media is a double-edged sword. It connects people and illuminates issues that otherwise would go unchecked, like the pictures which went viral last week of pitiful free school meal parcels.

On the other hand, it gives a platform to people whose sole aim is to divide and push their own twisted agenda (like a certain outgoing US president).

And then there are the trolls: those shady figures who seek out any opportunity to needle and bully for kicks; there’s something especially sinister about those types of people.

I am more a lurker than an active participant in the Twittersphere.the way I see it, it’s basically a grown-up version of the school playground and it gives me the same sinking feeling when I see Twitter “pile-ons” and “cancellations” because someone doesn’t fit with the “in crowd”.

When I was at school and someone called me a name, my mum would tell me: just ignore them! It’s good advice but I’ve never found it easy to shrug off mean-spirited comments.

This week’s cover star, Scots actress Sharon Rooney, has experienced more trolling than most, often because of her size. Of course, being as successful and talented as Sharon is the biggest revenge but she’s also found a very effective way of silencing the online bullies – she simply presses the mute button.

Sharon tells us on pages 6&7: “There’s a lovely mute button now. If someone writes something rude I just quietly say ‘Shhh’ to them.”

Now, if only we could do that in real life!