Are you being internaughty?

Sorry It's been a while! Things were crazy! What? They could have been. I could have done a ton of crazy stuff over the summer. Fiiiine. The point is, regardless of what I may or may not have done over the summer, I'm back into a routine and my aim is to upload a new blog post every week. Don't laugh. I said it was an AIM.

So the internet is like the craziest thing ever when you think about it. I mean it's amazing. We can connect to thousands even millions of people all across the world at the click of a button. We can tell people what we think and make our opinions heard. We can even tell celebrities what we think of them! So much fun, right?!

The problem is that with great power comes great responsibility. Yes, I just did that. The issue with being able to speak so freely online is that some people view it as a chance to say things they wouldn't say to a person's face. And unfortunately, it's not always good things. If you have Twitter, Facebook or even scroll through comments on a YouTube video you will see some pretty shocking things. Death threats, name-calling and violent words are often used against people that 99% of the time have done nothing wrong. A sad fact of today's world, certainly for celebrities, is that even dating someone that is adored by millions can make you a target for hatred. Falling in love with someone can now turn you into public enemy number 1 for some people.

People hide behind anonymous names and avatars to say whatever they want. And because they're not saying it in person, they don't think it matters. They don't care because there are no consequences. Anonymity is the enemy of the internet. It allows people to hide behind computer screens and slip into a fictional world where what they say has no effect on the person they're saying it to. But what's forgotten is that the people with the millions of pounds, fancy cars, mansions and legions of fans also have feelings. I know, it's shocking.

They do read these and they do get hurt no matter what their background or current life situation. And obviously it's not just celebrities that have to deal with this kind of thing. Cyber bullying has become a massive issue in recent times and unfortunately it seems to be getting worse. People have committed suicide over being bullied online. There is no escape. If you are bullied by people in real life, the internet doesn't offer refuge because now people use it to verbally attack and threaten others.

 

Jimmy Kimmel turned it into something funny, of course with his 'Celebrities Read Mean Tweets' series which I suggest you YouTube if you haven't already. But the main point I want to make is that before you let your emotions get the better of you and spout a lot of hatred to some undeserving soul online, go outside, get some air and calm down. Punch a cushion if it helps. But just start thinking about what you're saying to people before you let your fingers start erratically typing. And if you're just doing for the fun of it then enjoy karma!

And if you're struggling with cyberbullying just know that you're not alone and there are people out there who can help you. And ultimately remember it's not your fault. The person who's doing it is the one with a problem, not you. And on a side note, I recommend everyone watches the film below when they have the time as it gives a sad but accurate portrayal of what kind of effect cyberbullying can have on


someone. (Sorry, it's in parts).

It is a vicious world and not for those of the faint of heart. It's sad that today even regular Joes who want to start making YouTube videos have to expect hatred. It's like preparing yourself for war. As soon as you start putting content out there you have to expect to be judged and hurt. You, for whatever reason, are chosen as someone's virtual punching bag. It's sad some people can't respect and support others. That people should expect to be hated on just for expressing themselves. Even I myself, was verbally attacked on Twitter for sharing a post on feminism. Welcome to the 21st century everyone!

This is an interesting video by my favourite YouTuber Bree Essrig which I wanted to include as she is the target of a lot of online hatred. Take what you will from it, but I'm going to leave you with it to end this post.

Until next time, think before you type!

Jeni x