Let's make one thing clear: There is more than one degree of bullying; I'm going to address three. I believe everyone experiences in some form all three.
The first degree is the most harmless degree, but still I hear it get a bad rap. This type of bullying most people wouldn't even call bullying just because it has little to no effect on anyone. It's when you make fun of your friends' hair cut or fashion sense. You both laugh at the joke, and no one's feelings are hurt. Even with this type of bullying clearly being a form of affection, I still hear people call it harmful and practically attempt to get it banned from society. I don't understand it. I'm all for this type of bullying, and frequently use it.
The second degree is kinda fifty-fifty. It can be harmful, it just depends on who is the receiving end. It's when you insult the people you don't really know or with whom you aren't friends. You probably don't mean to make them sad or angry or ruin their day, you just dislike something about them and decided you should tell them. I personally don't have a problem with this, but I understand why people would. People can say practically anything to me and I brush it off relatively easily, so I don't care when people insult me. But I know not all people are like me, and tend to take insults to heart, so I understand why people lecture that insulting others is wrong and shouldn't be a part of our lives.
The third degree is the most dickish degree. This is the type of stuff you hear about on anti-cyber bullying commercials. It's the type of shit that makes people so depressed that they kill themselves. Obviously I doubt most people intend for the recipients to commit suicide, but they're none the less assholes. It's the type of bullying where people comment shit like "Look at this fag" or "Go kill yourself" or whatever. And I know you hear about anti-bullying campaigns like this all the time, but that's only because comments like this show up all the time. "It's just a joke. They're overreacting." Yeah, it might be a joke to you, but not everyone has your sense of humor. The Internet isn't your clique at school or work where everyone understands every inside joke you have or every little mannerism you have. A lot of people might make jokes like that, but that doesn't mean everyone understands it's a joke. So, unless you know the person you're making the comment to will take it light-heartedly, just shut the hell up.
And now let's look at the part of the anti-bully campaign you never hear about.
If you're the one receiving comments like any of the ones above, do not take it personally. If you don't know the person making the comment, you should not care what it says. If it's a compliment, great. Let it feed your ego. But if it's anything derisive, don't let it bother you. If they say what you made or what you did sucked, don't stop doing that thing, but keep doing it. 1. You'll get better at it, and 2. They probably won't comment the same thing twice, so the problem is gone. People are way too sensitive, and it's ridiculous. No, I'm not saying this generation is more sensitive than the last; no, I'm not saying that we should all become racist, homophobic assholes. I'm just saying don't pick a fight over every little thing. Not all battles need to be won; not all conflicts need to be duked out. Just let it go.
So yes, there are assholes on the Internet who need to learn to shut up, but you also have to realize that, like the Lernaean Hydra, for everyone one jerk that learns to be quiet, two will come to take his place, so learn to accept that there will be people who say stuff you won't like, and just ignore it.
Well, that was my rant for the day. Thanks for listening.
Shit that was a long chasmatic post.
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