If you use social media, you're most probably painfully aware of the so-called internet trolling. People (hiding their real identity, of course) post nasty comments, using highly offensive language with hateful, degrading expressions. Despite being anonymous and 'alive' only in virtual social worlds, they still make quite an impact and personally affect real people.

Criola, an organization founded in 1992 and led by black women, works to protect and defend black women rights. Racism is still here and it manifests itself in various forms we must not ignore. They started a campaign called "Virtual racism, real consequences", during which they identified racist comments posted on Facebook and Twitter and the trolls that posted them, used geotag tools to locate where they come from and put up billboards, displaying those very same comments near trolls' hosues for everyone in their neighbourhood to read.

"I arrived home smelling like black people."

"If she bathed properly, she wouldn't get that grimy."

"GFY dirty nigga, I dunno u but I wash myself."

The activists then went to the streets to get the opinions of people who read the billboards, hoping they provoke a reflection, raise awareness, and discuss the issue of racism and online shaming.

They addressed questions, such as does a comment on the internet causes less damage than a direct offense? People should think about what they say, in person or anonymously, and consider the consequences of hateful speech. Despite the fact all the images and the names were blurred out (since the activists had no intention of exposing the offenders), the fact remains: virtual words echoe in the real world, causing pain to real people.

(Video curtesy of YouTube user AJ+.)