It all started
with this photo I had a few years back in year 2008...
Hello everyone! I want to touch base on this topic simply because I felt like I've never actually really done a cyber community issue. I've been hearing quite a few news regarding young people who got bullied over the internet. In conclusion to that, suicidal. Cases like these do happen very often. Some lead to depression and some to crucial decisions for themselves.
Cyberbullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it. [wikipedia.com]
Canada
Similarly, a Canadian study found:
- 23% of middle-schoolers surveyed had been bullied by e-mail
- 35% in chat rooms
- 41% by text messages on their cell phones
- Fully 41% did not know the identity of the perpetrators.
My Story
Speaking of which, my main point in this post is to share with you all about my experience.
Also that I finally took the courage to blog about this since then.
It didn't really start off with the photo of my shoes + handbag. It started with this photo I had...I was chubby at that time, consider myself FAT! So i took a full body shot photo and posted on a blog post. The post wasn't specifically focused on my body image, but it was just a random post about my day. I wasn't using BLOGGER back then. I was using an Asian blogging site call Wretch. A few days after the post was up, i saw a comment. At that time I didn't put any security restrictions on posting comments. I sort of made it like a "freedom of speech" way, letting people even without a registered ID to be able to comment on my posts. I don't quite remember what was the name of that person that he/she used on the post. But the name was very unfriendly. He/she didn't even use a proper name but had used something similar to "bitch", "fat ass", "your mom" etc.
Even though it was back in year 2008 but i have good memory of the past. I remember that stalker...ok lets call him/her stalker, posted a comment under my post stating... "You are such a fat bitch, why would you even bother taking a full body photo of yourself. Look at yourself you are so ugly and fat..." blablabla. This sentence is not the exact sentence with the exact words that the stalker wrote. Yep, I've got my very first cyber attack from an unknown. I was very young at that time and didn't know how to handle it. Plus, I was and still very sensitive towards others judging my appearance in a negative way. I responded. I totally responded that stalker. I said.. "Who are you, why are you...blablabla" Apparently that stalker replied. However the conversation didn't last long. It was even a conversation either. It was more like a combat between me (an obvious human) and an unknown sitting infront of the computer screen. It wasn't a WAR between the captains, I had a few allies and soldiers too. LOL! A few of my online net+reality friends were supporting me at that time. I got quite upset+angry and I deleted the post. Yep, that was how I escaped without furthering any arguments. I wasn't really a technical expert at that time, had no idea about URLs, internet web IDs and stuff like that.
ANYWAYS, so after I deleted off that post, I thought that everything SHOULD be ok. Since there's nothing much to talk about anymore. That's how I escaped, delete everything and move on. I didn't like putting too much of my time speaking to an unknown bully over the net. I acted as if nothing happened.
It came to me again a few weeks after I posted a new post.
*(with that photo of my flats+handbag on top)
It's the same stalker again... how did I know? The style, the way, the tone that stalker used. Exactly the same. Unless there's more than just one, I didn't know. I took a few screenshots of the comments they posted.
Here's the original blog post if you're interested [click]
Well yea, I was being very nice to them. To me I felt like the words they posted was a little bit TOO MUCH. Too much that they've gone way beyond my level of patience and nerves. How did I react at that time? I responded by posting an entire page of vulgar words+anger+miscellaneous beliefs+words of wisdom etc. I even posted this photo below....
Yea now to think about it, I went a little overboard. But guess what? It worked. LOL! After I wrote a long post, which you might need to take at least 30 scrolls on your mouse to get to the bottom of the page, it worked! That stalker...disappeared, didn't longer exist, probably gave up and lost its' way. My online net friends and reality friends were very supportive of me. They posted supportive comments and that made me felt much much better. A person PM-ed me and said that I wasn't any different compare to that stalker. He/she said that my attitude was bad, I used GOD in a wrong way...etc.
To be honest, I do believe in GOD and I respect HIM a lot, but correction, I didn't use that wrong incorrectly. Plus, I didn't go around people's blog and left HORRIBLE comments.
How am I the same level as that stalker?
I know that my experience might not be as serious as to some other cases, but it was still a minor CB issue. No matter if it's minor or major, CB still maintains as CB.
At that time I couldn't speak to anyone like my parents but only my friends. Simply because I was young and afraid that they might take the internet away from me! I totally understand what you young people are thinking; I've been there. I know that some people might say that, "Oh it's just the internet, who cares what they say? It's just words, they won't harm you physically...". If that's the case then why do people take citations from the internet since you said that it won't do anything to us physically. Words from internet not trustable? Nope, I somewhat disagree. Words and sentences which were passed through the internet nowadays is VERY effective compare to the past few years. I was glad that I had supportive friends back then to help me out.
My Thoughts
Please do not spread rumours of others and hurt people with words. You may think it's fun but haven't you thought that what if YOU are the victim. How about if your siblings/friends are the victims? Try to be in their shoes and see/feel for yourself. Seek for help and don't hide at the corner keeping everything to yourself. It's not going to help you! Help is around and don't be afraid to call law enforces.
My another funny story to end the post
I'm a DOTA player. I'm sure you guys are familiar with the game DOTA. Well, most guys play it... I'm a girl gamer, I like to game; alot. LOL! Well lately I had been playing DOTA a lot online with people around the world. I'm currently using Michiko+photo of myself, obviously I'm a girl. Sometimes I would have my microphone plugged in to talk to my friends. Heroes that I usually use are Rikimaru, Earthshaker and Drow Ranger. Lately I've changed to Omni Knight.
Anyways...
Case ONE
I said HELLO to everyone in the room...nobody replied. It's fine!
I pawned a guy from the opposite team. He wasn't very happy about it I guess. He said..
"I should report you f**king noob! You troller trolling"
I was like... "wth...how am I trolling?"
he said: "shutup dude"
me: "i'm not a male, thanks"
him: shutup right after
*i mean like..obviously i sounded like a girl? unless i sounded like a men then?* O_O"
Case TWO
Me talking on the microphone with my guy friend (same team)
A random guy on our team: "Omg can you shut up ??"
me: "who...me?"
guy: "yea you! so annoying"
me: "......"
my friend: "Hey, there's not a polite way to talk to a girl"
guy: "...sorry I didn't know that she was a girl"
me: "....."
It's funny how after i said that I'm a GIRL, they all shut up, pronto.
Still have SO MANY cases regarding this lame shiet. However, they are like that.
Guys who can't play and loses to a girl. Shameful.
They got pawned and yet they complain.
Anyways~
be happy, it's just like any other day.
don't let a random person affect your mood!
the internet is always the internet.
what matters most is how you're doing in reality, your health+family+friends+future
that's what's most important to you. =)
Don't be afraid to stand up for your rights.
We are all humans with feelings+emotions. We don't deserved to be bullied.
If you're interested in posting a button of Anti CB, feel free to copy the HTML code below
and post it on the sidebar of your blog.
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