Handling the Haters in Science Communication

I was recently featured on an Instagram live hosted by @shine.science and I was asked the question, “How do you handle negative comments on social media?” I had such a long answer that I thought it would make an excellent podcast episode! I’ve been putting myself out there (and by there I mean the Internet) since about 2010 when I started a professional Twitter account and blog. Eleven years later (where has the time gone??) I am still here and in the last few years I’ve put myself even out there more with the creation of a YouTube channel and this podcast. No matter how amazing you are, you will receive some negative comments if you do science communication. In this episode, I talk specifically about how I handle my negative comments and what you should expect if you put yourself out there just as much as me. Specifically I talk about and cover: What is science communication and why in the world would a scientist choose to do it? Why I choose to do science communication and why it’s important What scientists are scared of if they were to put themselves out there A summary of my experience with negative comments and my categorization of comments: Trolling, negative, but informative, and disagreements All of the tools, techniques, and thoughts I use to deal with these comments such as: Reprogramming my brain using neuroscience Putting things in perspective and changing the meaning of comments How to immediately disarm nasty comments Why getting haters is a good thing Evaluating myself: Am I doing anything to attract negative comments? Use my comments as sources of material for content creation Creating a happy folder Visualizations that help me AND MORE! For full show notes click here. Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/ Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology