Dear Stranger,
I recently heard a woman, whose professional career is being a YouTube influencer, mention a hateful comment someone had posted to one of her videos. She then went on to relate the experience of one of her friends, also a professional YouTube vlogger, who is being harassed online by someone who has created a Twitter account dedicated to the sole purpose of belittling and demeaning this woman. This is appalling.
It's possible that these hateful people would say hurtful and degrading things right to these two women's faces, but on the whole, I think not. I think it's possible, maybe likely, that in their real lives, these bullies would at the very least maintain a respectful silence on the perceived faults of others, and reprimand their children if they displayed similar vulgar behavior. Instead, so many people are using the impersonal glare of their computer or phone screens to distance themselves from the realities and consequences of their virtual abuse. In a way, this may be a more authentic and realistic glimpse into the true characters of these rude and inconsiderate posters, but I hope not.
The first meme I ever saw on the internet, long before I knew what a meme was, was a commentary on Barbara Streisand's nose. My immediate thought was, "Really? That's the first thing that would come out of your mouth if you were introduced to Ms. Streisand? Telling her you think her nose is too big? Well, That's more than a little rude."
Let's not be that way. Let's not contribute to the hate and cruelty of the virtual world - that world is a lot more real than you might think, and it's full of real people, with real feelings. Let's take a stand, and be firm in our determination to treat people with dignity and respect. Even those people who are not extending that same courtesy to us.
Thank you for making the world a better place.
Sincerely,
Karyn
