I'm going to hop up on my soapbox here, so I thought I would launch this post with one of my favorite scenes from Mean Girls:
I haven't been a victim (yet), but some of the sweetest bloggy girls I know and follow have been. Girls that have done nothing except share a part of their lives with the world and received upsetting, horrible comments on their blogs, in their email and via Twitter. It is not okay to tear someone down in any form, least of all the internet where bullies hide behind a veil of anonymity. It is not okay to make someone feel worse about their life so you can feel better about yours.
If you're reading this and you're someone that has felt the need (and maybe personal satisfaction?) in tearing someone else down via the internet, step back and think about it for a moment. Does it make you feel better to act like such a bully? All it does is hurt the person you are attacking. Think about taking all of that negative energy and turn it into something good. Or just sit there for a moment, take a deep breath, and close your browser. If you don't like what you are reading, don't read it. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
To anyone who has fallen victim to such attacks, I know you have probably heard this from lots of people, but try let it roll of your back and remind yourself that their words have not so much to do with you, but with themselves and their own unhappiness. We all have so much positive to bring to this world of blogging - unique insights, views, life experiences and opinions. I'd hate for the negative of a few to ruin the positive of many.
