Have you ever seen the movie "Cyberbully"? It's about a high school girl being bullied online by someone who is very close to her, and it spreads to people throughout her entire school. At the end of the movie the main character attempts to escape her pain by overdosing on pills but is caught before she can follow through with it. I watched this movie and truly believed that this sort of stuff goes on in real life, but I had never really seen it with my own eyes.
Last week, I got to experience it for myself. As technology has become more and more advanced, people feel like they can say whatever they want online because they have "freedom of speech," no matter if it is hateful and scarring for the targeted victim. I received some comments on one of my previous articles telling me to leave the city I'm from, calling me names, criticizing my appearance and saying some things that no one should ever have to read about themselves. Keep in mind that none of the comments were related to my article, making them just completely hateful and pointless.
I have some thick skin, or so I thought, but they really upset me. People accused me of intentionally hurting others' feelings, being mean-spirited and being a bad person. I'm honestly one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I don't like hurting people's feelings, and I love serving and helping people when the opportunity presents itself. I'm pursuing a career where I can help people, it's my true passion, and I honestly want to leave the world a little better than I found it. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I am one of the most loyal friends you will find. I would never do anything to try to hurt someone's feelings, so it breaks my heart that anyone would even insinuate that.
I understand if you don't agree with someone's opinion, heck, sometimes I read through things I've read after a while and think, "Molly, what were you thinking?" I welcome a discussion if you don't agree with what I have to say, but name-calling is far beyond disagreeing with what I have to say. No one deserves scrolling down to read the comments of something they worked hard on to read people not just discussing their article but insulting their intelligence, alma mater and appearance. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but you can present your opinion without making others feel horrible about themselves. You really can have a discussion and say that you just flat out don't agree with what someone has to say without being mean.
I just want to let you know that the person on the receiving end of those comments might not be so strong. They might be on the edge of a breakdown or dealing with some really serious stuff in their life. Cyberbullying is not some silly thing to look over. IT EXISTS. People experience it every day, and it leads some people to some serious actions, like in the movie "Cyberbully."
If you have so much hate in your heart that you need to leave hateful comments to feel better about yourself, I feel really sorry for you. I didn't make you read my article, so I really commend you on getting through it, because if it was the "worst thing you've ever read," I'm so sorry that you had to go through that.
Before you comment something, think to yourself, "Is this something I would say directly to someone's face?" and if the answer is no—DON'T POST IT. People will say nearly anything on the internet, and most of the time, it's something they would never say to someone's face. Let's use some discretion, and if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
If you've ever gone through anything remotely like this, I am 110 percent here for you. As Taylor Swift says, haters gonna hate. Be yourself and don't worry about the haters because they honestly are not worth your time. Responding to their comments is exactly what they're looking for and ignoring it and reminding yourself that none of it is true is the best way to get rid of them.
If you don't like what someone else is doing, don't pay any attention to it. If you don't agree with someone's opinion, politely disagree and keep moving. If you feel like their appearance is not your cup of tea, don't look like them or wear the clothes they wear. We live in a world where we don't really have to give anything attention if we don't truly want to, so choose not to give it your attention if it doesn't benefit you or bring you entertainment. Not everyone likes every book that's ever been written, but would you keep that person from writing it?
