Cyberbullying

In light of negative comments that are blowing up on our vent sesh’s, I think it’s time to address the elephant in the room. It’s time discuss the topic of bullying; more specifically, cyberbullying.

In setting out to write this blog, my sister and I had a conversation surrounding whether or not we wanted to give the public an option to leave anonymous comments on our posts. My immediate answer was, “YES”. I am a HUGE advocate of freedom of speech, AMERICA, F*CK YA and all lol. But seriously, If I am writing opinion pieces in a public forum and you have something to say about it, BE MY GUEST. That is the beauty of living in the United States my friends. If you have an opinion, you have the option to be heard. I’m certainly not going to be one to shut that down.

I knew a girl attempting to blog but she deleted any and all negative comments that came her way. 1) because she didn’t want other people seeing them 2) they made her SO upset. She also would go out of her way to ask people what they thought of her blog, and if they disliked it, she cried.

I find this silly. If you’re in a fragile state of mind where you can’t take negative critiques, you probably shouldn’t be blogging. & you certainly shouldn’t be asking people for their opinion if you can’t be open to criticism.

Now, is it appropriate to label a person who leaves negative comments on a blog a “cyberbully?” My personal answer to that is yes and no. Some negative comments left are simply to state one’s opinion and potentially spark a debate. There’s nothing wrong with that. I think it’s socially acceptable to have an online disagreement between two parties, if both parties can be respectful. The commentators I would label as cyberbullies are those who set out for the sole purpose to harass.

Take for example the commentator “Do Better” who decided to engage in chatter on M-O-N-E-Y. The only thing that bothered me about “Do Better’s” comments is when she had the nerve to call commentator “Pibbs” an internet bully.

“Do Better” I hate to break it to you, but we’re staring you down.

H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E, hypocrite. & if there is one thing I detest, it’s a hypocrite with an opinion.

Since launching this blog, hypocrites have abounded to give their two cents.

One girl I wrote about in a past Vent Sesh ended up having a conversation with me; she told me it was unfair to put her text on blast because she was angry when she sent it… k lol. SO essentially, in this girl’s mind, since she was angry when she sent the text, I shouldn’t have voiced my opinion about it through a blog post. Yup, uh huh, that makes A LOT of sense.

This is a perfect example of hypocrisy. This girl gets a free pass to be a cyberbully when she’s angry, but heaven forbid someone retaliate and share their opinion on the matter.

People, if you start something with someone, be prepared for the aftermath. We’ve all heard the sayings: “don’t poke the bear” & “you mess with the bull you get the horns”. In layman’s terms, you better be prepared for the consequences of your stupid actions.

Now another thing that is humorous about cyberbullies is they will ALWAYS hide behind anonymous names. Why? Because they are cowards. They are cowards in real life. They are cowards on the internet. They will never have the guts to have an opinion tied to who they really are. The internet gives them the nerve to post solely because they can hide behind the anonymity of it. Are these cyberbullies scared of me? I think so. & they should be.

People, if you have an issue with someone, have the confidence to outwardly state your opinion. Tell them to their face! Be strong! You’re entitled to your own way of thinking. The individuals that hide behind made-up names are weak. & I smile when I type that, because they already know.

My sister, Treslyn, said something the other day that gave me a “light bulb moment”.

“Don’t these girls know these negative comments don’t bother you? I don’t understand; it’s like they don’t know you”.

DING DING DING DING DING! Treslyn, THAT is the statement of the year. Those girls I was “friends” with DIDN’T know me. Not in the slightest.

They didn’t know my hopes and dreams. They didn’t know the intricacies of my relationship with my husband. I don’t even think they really understood what I did for my job lol. All they knew is I liked to party on the weekends. They. Did. Not. Know. Me. So yes, it’s incredibly humorous these girls keep commenting nasty things and sending nasty emails when it’s water off a ducks back.

Readers, if someone is writing negative commentary on your blog, on your Facebook, on your Instagram; you have already won.

To “Chatty Cathy,” you want me to be successful so people can see me for what I really am? They will see me as successful. What will they see you as?

Moral of this story? Cyberbullies beget cyberbullies. Nasty texts beget nasty blog posts. If you have the gall to post a nasty comment online or shoot someone a nasty text, don’t be surprised if that nastiness is reciprocated. If you have the gall to post a nasty comment online or shoot someone a nasty text, the person you’re targeting has already won.

Till next time!