Back in 2014, I met Collins Key for the first time at a meet and greet on Demi Lovato's Neon Lights Tour.
(For those of you who don't know Collins: he's a magician who was on "America's Got Talent" and has a pretty hefty following on YouTube.)
My best friend Emily and I loved Collins, so when he performed some weekend shows at Six Flags Great Adventure we just had to go to all of them.
During one of the meet and greets I challenged Devan, Collins' brother, to a dance off. Collins then made it happen and joined in too. Keep in mind, I can't actually dance, but if you know me, you know I don't have any problem with laughing at myself and doing things just slightly out of my comfort zone.
Luckily, Emily was able to catch this super fun moment on camera. A few days later, I uploaded the clip onto my YouTube account not thinking much of it.
Since July 18th of 2015, the dance-off video has 326,193 views as of writing this and I have reached almost 600 subscribers.
While it is super cool to have a little bit of online attention, it's also very concerning.
I'd imagine that tweens and teens are stumbling across my video while searching for more content of Collins. But when many watch it, they take to their keyboards and begin to craft some super unkind words. I've been told via the comments that my dance moves are "cringe," and that I'm just trying to show off, and that I'm only trying to get the brothers to like me.
The truth is these comments don't hurt my feelings at all, but instead make me so afraid for the children stuck dealing with cyberbullies.
I'm 23 years old, so I know that words behind a computer screen don't mean much and that rude thoughts typically stem from jealousy even though we often refuse to admit it.
What I'd like to say to these young people commenting on my video is that it's so important to be kind to one another, whether that's in person or online. Your words may not hurt me, but whose to say they won't affect someone else? The truth is you don't know anyone's story fully and you shouldn't act as if you do.
Keep in mind... you gain nothing from spreading negativity or saying rude things. Why go out of your way to make someone do anything less than smile?
Kindness goes a long way, and being kind to people can positively change your life, the lives of those around you, and even the world. I challenge you to rid yourself of hateful speech, mean words, and to just be kind to one another.
Lastly, I'd like to pass on the age-old phrase I heard time and time again, growing up — "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."
