Troll- Shane Koyczan 

"We're stuck with you... like _you're_ stuck with you." My boy Shane spittin' straight fire.

"You've talked strangers into death, and laughed."

"You've turned freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty" Holy shit...

"You turned freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty.." LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!

"You've talked strangers into death and laughed" something all trolls out there need to think about

This honestly deserves an award. Shane Koyzcan deserves many awards for his eye-opening work

this should be use for anti cyberbullying talks at schools

I love how he recognizes that people are going to hate on this video, but he doesn't care for what they have to say, this is for the people who can't respond to their trolls or cyber bullies because they are dead. This video is no for his definition of a troll or a cyberbully. It's a cry, for the people who died because of them, to stop them before they hurt anybody else.

He wasn't meaning to title 'troll' to speak about Internet trolls. He was using it metaphorically to express how cyber bullies hide out under their metaphorical bridge until their next victim comes along. That's how I see it.

My favorite lines: "As if crushing our spirits would make your mirrors cast better reflections" "But the fathers who stood guarding closet doors and the mothers who secured the floors underneath beds all shook their heads not knowing how to deal with you"y "It isn't cute, it isn't funny. You've talked strangers into death, and laughed" "Offered nooses, cliffs and pills who unfortunately found you before they found help" "Dashed through police tape as if it was race of who can be awful first" "We are stuck with you, the same way you are stuck with you"

"We told them, you aren't real And then one day, the world changed"

When this first came out the comments were full of trolls saying “It’s just for laughs man, man up.” I’m glad to come back a few years later to find maturity.

Thank you.

this shocked me i dint know words could express this much

Wow. The words, the animation, the music... All add up to a thing of beauty. Ironic considering the subject matter is so ugly. Lovely work.

This is what I love about Shane Koyczan. Most artists just try to make us think, make us feel, but he makes us act. He actively seeks out the wrong in the world and tells us how to fix it. This, "To This Day", and "Shoulders" are not just compilations of clever words; they are messages, and we cannot and should not ignore them.

"Grow thicker skin, then!" ~ Internet troll, with a loving family, directed at an orphan.

You see what I don't understand... is people are arguing in the comments about whether trolls are different of similar to cyberbullies. Do you not see that he was only attempting to place a metaphor, using a term from long ago fantasy stories we enjoyed as children. What point is there to arguing...?

“You have cheered on rape” Has got to be the line that makes me most sad. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking of those who have done something like that.

for people that want to read along: Once upon a time, You and all your kind lived underneath bridges, Had ridges for ribs that dropped off into empty chests as if your Hearts were all stolen treasures, As if an excavation crew were hired to dig up and remove the part Of you that let you feel. And while the world above you invented the wheel, you stayed put, Knowing it would one day need to roll over top of you to get to Where it's going. You had an endlessly flowing supply line of food. You began to brood over humanity and made meals of our hope, As if crushing our spirits would make your mirrors cast better Reflections than the ones they gave, As if the only way you could save yourselves was to make the world Ugly so no one would notice you hiding in it. You learned to knit pain into a kind of camouflage, Treated hope like a mirage that you could use to lure in your next meal. You lived off of our fears, as if you could taste what we feel. And every night, as the moon read bedtime stories to sunlight. You took darkness as an invite to head out into the world, You curled your hands into wrecking balls, your breath became Squalls, you made rocks rumble, you made land shiver You made boys and girls pray that someone would deliver them From you We told them you aren't real. Then one day, the world changed, but you all stayed the same. Just migrated from living underneath bridges to living underneath Information super-highways. Days and nights became meaningless, each already deepened Chest became an abyss that no one would ever find the bottom of. Concepts like love fell into your gravity, we turned ourselves into Live preservers, hoping to save as many as we could, But the fathers who stood guarding closet doors and the mothers Who secured the floors underneath beds, All shook their heads not knowing how to deal with you. You, who crept into our lives with tongues like knives stabbing your Words into our skin. You began to begin uploading yourselves into our homes you had Computer screens for eyes, and software for bones. You turned your hate into stones and hurled them at beauty, As if you couldn't bear to see anything other than ugly, anything Different. You had fingernails like flint, and scraped them along decency hoping we would be the ones to all catch fire. You all had smiles like one-way barbed wire not meant to keep us Out, Meant to keep us in Voice like a firing pin, you spoke in explosions It isn't cute. It isn't funny. You've talked strangers into death, and laughed. And as each family learns to graft skin over the wounds you gave them, you hem yourselves into the scar. You have coaxed the sober back into bars, Handed out cigars at memorials, Offered nooses, cliffs, and pills to those who unfortunately found You before they found help. You have praised suffering, Waltzed in between tragedies, Gracefully dipping misery as if we would somehow be impressed With the dexterity of your animosity. You have cheered on rape, dashed through police tape as if it were The finish line in a race of who can be awful first. Even now, You somehow see this as an invitation to turn your keyboards into Catapults, Wondering which of you can be the first to hate this best. Your loathing, already dressed in riot gear, Ready to incite rage, As if each message board is a stage, Where you recite hostility, Turning freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty. We are stuck with you, the same way you are stuck with you. Your mind is glue, and it keeps malice fastened there like cheap Wallpaper. We were once upon a time told that none of you exist, we Dismissed you as make believe or myth. Now armed only with resolve, we can no longer afford to tell Ourselves that you aren't real. We will not let you make your dinners out of the things we feel.

Wow this was so beautifully written, and the illustrations did justice to the words. Even though there are so many great lines in this, I think the one that hit me the hardest was "We are stuck with you, the same way you are stuck with you."

Stumbled upon this again in 2023, saved it. Words can’t describe how powerful this is

everyone told me to ignore them and so i repressed how much they hurt me. this is so validating, thank you so much for this.

I’m proud to have drawn this. That was a very nice job to get.

Do you ever wonder if he knows how much his words keep people going?

I can't explain the thoughts this gives me. I understood the words as if he was speaking to me. His vocabulary is so complex and I wish I could create such beautiful art like he can. Shane, your gift is wonderful.

I love this poem because it's almost as if this can go for real life bullies as well as cyberbullies. really brings tears to my eyes. shane is an inspiring man

shit, the way the music switches right after the line "but then one day, the world changed" never fails to make me shiver, even years after i first heard this

you know what, what if we just cut off all comments on youtube. prevented anyone from commenting on a video, would things be more quiet? more peaceful? as much as i wish "trolling" would stop i don't think it would. people always say "learn to take a joke" or "stop being a pussy" yet trolls always forget they're talking to an actual human being on the other side of the screen. people defend trolling by saying it isn't the same as bullying but what difference is there? it pains me to know people on the verge of suicide because of trolling, and those who say that what this man is saying is too serious or incorrect then i don't know what else to say to you. apparently bullying can be hilarious and justifiable if you called it trolling.

The difference between bullying and trolling is the difference between a grenade and fireworks. On the surface, it seems like a big difference, but its not. Both can blow off an arm and both can kill.

This only becomes more relevant as time goes on. Rest in peace Etika...

Shane Koyczan has taught me healthy coping mechanisms, I struggle with self harm and depression, but this man, has taught me that poems, letters and stories are better than a blade cutting skin. Thank you Shane Koyczan, you’ve saved me from a world of darkness.... You have shown me hope, and light, when I thought death was the only thing left for me..

Was anyone else scrolling through the comments to see if there were any trolls on this video?

Could people stop posting comments saying stuff like "learn the difference between trolling and cyberbullying" There is a very thin line between the two

I first saw this video in 8th grade and was really moved by it. Looking back at it now as a junior I understand it so much more and it's just an amazing piece of art

"we will not let you make dinners out of the things we feel." So beautiful and his work is absolutely amazing I wish more people new about him.

Who the hell would dislike thi- oh wait...

Powerful. Love this poet, the lines are just incredible. It's annoying that people are nit-picking- Does it really matter what the difference is? Call it whatever you want, it's still people feeding off others like leeches. This is a strong description of both.

"you've talked strangers into death, and laughed" oh my god. I didn't think words could express my feelings so well.

" The father's who stood guarding closer doors and the mother's who secured the floors underneath the beds all shook their heads because they didn't know what to do with you" I got chills from that

Sent here from Kathleenlights's channel and this vid was sooo good

Kathleen brought me here. And I'm glad she did 💙

You know a video is good when you feel inclined to clap as the credits roll.

There's a subtle awesome moment at the end. The Troll goes too far, gets noticed - and someone brings the hammer down.

I don't understand how people are unable to see the beauty behind these words stringed together with rope that goes by the name of rhyme..

Years later this still makes me want to cry

1:31 the moon looks like a distressed face, terrified is that intentional, or is just a coincidence?

A good portion of the commenters now believe that they are poets. I have to admit, some of them are pretty good.

There is a difference between trolling and cyberbullying, but the line is so fine and the difference is so tiny it's hardly relevant. To quote Jonathan Enter, the difference between trolling and cyberbullying is the difference between your first high and addiction. Trolling, no matter how benign, can tear open wounds, burn down walls, shatter safe havens, feed insanity and even kill human beings. One push, no matter how light, can undo so much.

I still come back to this video to this day

This guy... He really helped me through some tough times...

I tip my fedora at how thoughtful this is, in this moment I am euphoric. Thanks.

wow. this was incredible. amazing.

The beginning reminded me of class bullies, later, when the world changes, I was reminded me of depression.

"Already dressed in riot gear, ready to insight rage. As if each message board is a stage where you recite hostility, turning freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty." DAMN.

Kathleen Lights brought me here! What an amazing video!

There's a thin line between trolling and cyber-bullying. Words can hurt.

The thing is he isn't trying to insult these bullies, he's trying to make them understand what they are and how they affect the people around them, he's trying to make them understand they are true monsters...

When we were younger our parents didn't tell us the kitty pool (our feelings) would one day be deeper then the ocean and you'd be at the bottom feeling everything and being numb to it

This is perfect. Show this to everyone who exists.

The only real way to deal with trolls is a sword and shield. I look at the comments and I see so many people complaining about this video. I can see that they've done exactly what trolls do. They whine, they complain and get offended when their mischief is challenged. But this guy is a knight clad in armor. He isn't afraid of you. You're afraid of him, because not only is he taking you on, but also because he's giving out swords and shields to everyone through this video. It's time for you guys to suck it up. Trolling may not be bullying, but it can lead to it. Know when to stop.

“then one day the world *_changed_* “

Please wake me up from this nightmare, In this suffocating world I can't bear. While I'm hear I can't speak a word, I've been signalling help for a while, has no one heard? Someone please go in my head and flick that lever, Because if you don't I'll be here forever. Or at least I thought, 'tis was not a dream, So I am already awake, but can I scream? In this 'nightmare' we call life, We can wake up, need a knife. But with every nightmare, you have to remember, If you wait it out, it does get better. For every nightmare there is a dream, It does get better, although it may not seem. Although this nightmare may be a burdened, You have to remember, STAY DETERMINED. Pls don't hate or heckle I'm only 12!

What a genius video, thanks for the work you've put in it :)

Someone give this man the world's biggest cookie.

YOU are the reason I look thru the hardships of life. YOU are why I am going to college for a PsyD. I want to help kids who were bullied and I don’t know what I would do without your strong words that resonate within me.

These are what real people look like people like him are the ones who are the flicker in a dark broken world

This guy is a beautiful soul. I'm crying my eyes out because this is a very inspirational poem that makes me excited every time I watch this. And yes, I know I'm getting really deep but it's true

I think this hits a bigger issue, bullying, not just trolling in general. I lost my best friend in 2012. Her name was Sam. Now, in memory of her battling strength with depression, I go by Sam, too. Her death date was the 27th, it was 2 years ago then. She would have liked this poem. Loved it. She always had liked Shane when I read him to her.

As applicable today as ever. So glad this video has not been taken down. A great sign of hope. Been difficult to find any recently.

Shane: trolling has literally killed people The trolls: yeah but that wasn't the intention, therefore, consequences: evaded

He left open the ability for discussion, but not the ability to rate. That's powerful.

Words hurt, so we must be strong. If a single blazing sentence of stranger can tear and burrow beneath your skin so harshly how do you stand the eyes that judge you with righteous familiarity? Who has made you so paper thin that even now my words cut at you with the double edged sting of truth? Your confidence and self identity so fragile that I can shatter it without ever knowing who you are? Where are your parents to comfort you, your friends to assure you? Have you no love or strength in your life? No... Then it won't get better... Not easily at least, not if you stay like that, not if you're naive and see only beauty and innocence in this world. Words hurt but this world can hurt so much more, so you must be strong. You think my minor pin pricks, prods and jests tattoo a flourish of poisonously inked poetry across your wrists? Is that what you see or are you wrapping my words like a bandage to hide the cuts your peers and loved ones carelessly scrape out of you everyday?

this is deep man, deep

I watched this in my class because were doing poems and this really inspired me because cybor-bullying is a problem right now

Wow that was awesome!

How much the meaning of "troll" has changed over the years...

I discovered this video four years ago, and every time I come across it, it still blows my mind. Beautiful words and an amazing message.

The fact that trolls are born out of neglect, anger, sadness, and hopelessness is accurate

One of the the biggest problems is people taking trolls seriously, and I see some of the commentators here have already acknowledged that. Some people joke. Some people joke too far. Some people are just assholes. Apathy is your friend. Use it. Know when to laugh and know when you just ignore people. That aside, the animation and visuals for this were amazing. This was very well done. I think they took the topic a bit too serious though.

Terribly beautiful. I don't think there is any other person on the earth who is able to express feelings and put it into words better than this man. Absolutely breathtaking.

wow RU-vid put this after a random video I was watching and my mind is blown. Thank you that was beautiful.

If anybody watching this video hasn't watched "to this day" by Shane Koyczan, then watch it because it is one of the most inspirational videos that I have ever seen.

I cried tears of frustration that have been built up for years, as I realize I have gone my life battling a force and not people. Sometimes I've been on the ugly hateful side, but only when I felt ugliest too. It's easy to live a life under the rocks and trees which are rearranged and placed by people who care, just because you feel yourself inadequate to move a boulder yourself. I've changed the message I have spoken to empowering and helping people believe they can be better, because the world tells us we're so little and we live in the shadows of those who mean more. But we need to grow into the shadows we are about to make. I am not a pesticide, I am a fertilizer and sometimes that means I am full of shit but I'd rather be full of something than empty of purpose. I know the way to win, because the stories are written about people like us and the petty cruelties only win a chapter or two to their name. You don't have to be a hero to be a main character, you know. You just have to try something interesting and hopeful. Thank you, Shane.

This deserves a lot more attention than it's getting.

I'm glad to have found this again. I showed this in my Sociology class, when we got to pick topics of what we wanted to do a report on, I did mine on "People pretending they are something that they really are not" ex: faking disabilities for benefits, pretending to be seriously ill to get attention, such like that. Someone recommended this to me to add to my Powerpoint. This could not have been more perfect, even my professor was moved. The words are so moving, the tone is perfect the music brilliant and the art fits it so beautifully.

“And then one day, the world changed. But you all stayed the same”

My teacher showed us this video Wednesday and I immediately feel In love with how deep it is; and tomorrow I’m reciting it front of the whole class but because his voice is so amazing I feel like people are just gonna judge but like oh well it too beautiful to not give it a shot💀💕

you've made trolls look extremely badass

We’re scared of monsters, yet we are the monsters.

Ahh.. I'd forgotten how much I loved his poetry..

I found 1.1k trolls who dwell under our information superhighways

who on earth could dislike this?

I used to be the person he described in this poem, thanks to him I changed from a person who cheered on suicide to a person who helps prevent it. Thank you Shane

who the fuck dislikes this. honestly if it isn't your type of entertainment don't dislike it just leave and quit being negative

I love the incredible amount of irony from how many people are trolling in the comments.

God I love the way you have with words. You turn something so horrible and talk about it in such a beautiful way to raise awareness. Great video.

His words are magical

i learned about this in middle school, and i keep coming back to it. it’s so well written. 10/10

To everyone engaging with the trolls on this post - take a lesson from the video, just ignore them. Responding only validates them and gives them a reason to continue posting. A troll is pretty powerless without an audience. Shane Koyczan - thank you for this.