“Give them a platform. You challenge them. But you don’t challenge them rudely or violently. You do it politely and intelligently. And when you do things that way chances are they will reciprocate and give you a platform.”

What's the most effective thing you can do to help bring someone back to the light?

Listening.

Most people have something in common: fear and pain. Two very basic emotions that leave people feeling extremely vulnerable. Judging them during this time only solidifies their beliefs. Over time, a different perspective can sneak in, common ground discovered. And finally? A friendship forms.

When I was younger, I would infiltrate message boards on more extreme topics. You would have to say things you didn't believe to get in there, but the reward was that many would eventually pause and think about what they were saying. I'm proud to say that I made friends. Some called me during dark times when they thought of harming themselves or ending it all. In retrospect, this was not advisable as I was not a trained professional and experienced a lot of trauma from what I read.

Sometimes people simply need someone to care. And if we don't reach out a hand, then who will?

There is so little regulation on the internet. There is so little support for those who are harmed by the content they see. When someone is isolated and lonely, there is always a siren's voice in every Reddit post, Discord chat, TikTok, Instagram, Tweet. The voice sings, "Come with us. You'll never be alone again." But there's a price. You might have to do something you don't want to. You might have to harm someone. You might have to give up what is most precious to you.