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 importantWhat scientists are scared of if they were to put themselves out thereA summary of my experience with negative comments and my categorization of comments: Trolling,negative, but informative, and disagreementsAll of the tools, techniques, and thoughts I use to deal with these comments such as:Reprogramming my brain using neurosciencePutting things in perspective and changing the meaning of commentsHow to immediately disarm nasty commentsWhy getting haters is a good thingEvaluating myself: Am I doing anything to attract negative comments?Use my comments as sources of material for content creationCreating a happy folderVisualizations that help meAND 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/FancyScientistInstagram: 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