I am all for freedom of speech—believe me, I’m a writer—but it has gotten to the point where it is now completely out of hand, especially pertaining to comments written on celebrities' social media accounts.

Let us all remember that people in the spotlight are still people, even when the spotlight is off. They have emotions. Their feelings get hurt. They’re living, breathing, human beings and it is sad how some people need to be reminded of it.

So while you type a hurtful comment about how he or she ‘looks fat’ in a picture they’ve posted on Instagram, remember that the person might see it.

Maybe you think they won’t, after all, they have over a million followers, but still. What if they did see it? How do you think they’d feel? Or let’s put it this way, how would you feel if some stranger commented ugly, hateful words on a picture you posted?

Famous or not, it sucks.

Cyber bullying is an epidemic. The more one posts, the more susceptible that person becomes as a target for hate. Regardless, there is no justifiable reason to degrade people, or their values. What are you really gaining from tearing someone’s career to shreds? They worked hard to get where they are, and you don’t have to like them, but that doesn’t mean you have to hide behind the blue light of a phone screen and type a slew of vicious comments.

The presidential debate is a hot topic right now, one of which many celebrities seem to be endorsing. First, I think it’s great, regardless of who they’re campaigning for because it creates an awareness and encourages people to vote. Plus, freedom of speech! But as I scroll through Twitter and Instagram, instead of feeling inspired, I become perturbed by the amount of hate people have. So what if a celebrity has different political views than you? Does that really make him or her less of a person? The same goes for everyone in general.

We don’t have to agree to co-exist.

We are all entitled to our opinions, and I know it seems like a double-edged sword, but if your opinion is “You suck, please die,” there’s no need to advertise it, because that is a threat. If you want to disagree with someone, that’s all you have to say: there’s no need for personal attack.

If anything, unfollow the person. Keep it clean and simple. Attacking a person will get you nowhere. And if you want attention, join a circus.

Look, I get it. People probably think, “this person is a celebrity they can post whatever they want, and so can I.”

But again, what are you gaining from posting a degrading comment?

Some celebs might not see it. But honestly? Most probably do. Not all have the time or patience to retaliate, but some do. It’s inspiring when a celeb stands up for themselves because it reminds us all that their opinions and values matter, too.

Just remember the next time you want to attack a famous person online—or anyone, really—that words hurt. A mere string of words has the ability to hurt far more than a punch to the face. Bruises go away. Wounds for words stay with all of us forever.