What would you do? Would you be brave enough to stand up and be counted, to support the underdog?
Let’s not take this lying down!
I’ve written before about the brave and everso slightly wiser, Monica Lewinsky, responding to her critics. See her TED Talk on The Price of Shame.”
Courage comes in many forms…
Following on from her courage, I’m delighted to have begun to detect (I hope) a bit of a backlash against other online bullying. You’ll know I have a particular interest in it, since receiving a good dose of it myself, having been famous for 5 minutes on TV.
Research confirms what we already know – that we’ll type things about folk into Twitter and FaceBook, that we wouldn’t dream of saying to their faces.
The eyes have it
Somehow, and apparently the key is, when we’re not looking into their eyes, we feel safe, anonymous and entitled to an opinion, unfounded or otherwise. In extreme cases, some nasty, vitriolic personal attacks are knocking about out there, which leave even people with solid coping skills somewhat upset and afraid.
As for the vast majority who don’t have… Well, suicides aren’t unheard of.
Interestingly, science informs us that any group of people, left to its own devices, usually at first anarchic, eventually develop self-governed regulation.. And maybe that’s the stage of development our social media has now reached.
Because I think the tide is turning. I hope so, anyway. Groups of people are standing up to the perpetrators of online bullying and shaming them, while demonstrating support for the victims.
Hoorah!
It’s time the bullying stopped!
You look disgusting
Em Ford began posting images of herself without makeup on social media.
You’ll be horrified by some of the comments, and wonder what on earth damage we’re doing ourselves and our future generations by engaging in and being subjected to this sort of destructive behaviour.
You should be dancing, yeah…
And then there’s the ‘Dancing Man” AKA Sean O’Brien from the UK, whose bullies weren’t content with merely slating his dancing and ruining his evening.
Oh no! That wasn’t enough!
Then they posted the video they took of him on social media, along with this charming comment:
“Spotted this specimen trying to dance the other week. He stopped when he saw us laughing.”
Hmmmm. Nice!
Really nice!
He got the last laugh though, when a group of women in the States, on seeing the venomous post, took matters into their own hands.
They set up another social media campaign to find him…
And once found, organised a massive and high-profile party for him!
In L.A.!
Pharrell Williams was there to support, as was Dj Mobi, who provided the music.
Take that, bullies!
