Online hate and cyber bullying

This morning I woke up with the urge to talk about something that struck a nerve with me last night: online hate.

It is a prevalent issue within online communities – something even the new Netflix ‘Girl Boss’ series brought to light in an episode I watched last night – but is often seen as a taboo subject to discuss.

Personally, I think it is something that should be challenged more and there should be more content out there to spark debate and raise awareness over online hate. Just as the Netflix show ’13 Reasons Why’, has sparked controversy over it’s depiction of bullying and suicide amongst teenagers. Which, unfortunately, brings light to something that we see too often in the news how young people (and all ages) are affected by hate, bullying and harassment.

My Experience With Online Hate

What sparked this impromptu blog post, is probably what you’re thinking right?

Last night after the Joshua Vs Klitscho fight and a couple of glasses of prosecco, I was responding to comments over on my YouTube channel. When a new comment popped up on this styling video I did for my Nike Cortez trainers in February last year (2016), which led me to another hateful comment I had missed:

Now, little do these online haters know that they have hit me where it hurts with my own insecurities. Unless they are actually people I know masked behind an avatar and username.

For a back story (and not for sympathy), when I was at school I was teased and called a man. Something that carried through to university where childish boys would call me out for having a flat chest and again make horrible comments. Unfortunately, this is an insecurity that I cannot shake to this day and why I never feel girly, feminine or sexy.

But, when I read these comments the first thing I did was giggle and brush them off with another glass of prosecco. Then, I had a surge of anger which made me wonder where people get the bo*****s from to say these horrible things to other people and put it out there in the public domain. I am pretty sure they wouldn’t say it to my face. Well, in fact from my previous years of taunting they may do. But it led to me reporting the comments to YouTube as they just pissed me off.

Shop My Outfit

How To Deal With Online Hate and Cyber Bullying

I am at a point where I can just laugh horrible comments off, but words can still touch a nerve – as you can see from the result of me writing this blog post. I can still remember my first online hate comment. It was on a photo that ASOS posted of me wearing their jeans on their Facebook page. An online hate comment made me cry my eyes out and think about quitting blogging. Again, as you can guess it was a comment asking if it was a man wearing their woman’s jeans – you can see a pattern emerging here right?

I can’t help but wonder how I would handle online hate, if I had been receiving these anonymous comments whilst I was in my teens. I mean, if more than one person says it, does that mean everyone really thinks that about me? (*I know this is not true, but it is how comments like this make your brain react)

As more young people have access to the internet, smart phones and social media, it worries me about the added pressures that millennials go through today. I definitely don’t think I would be handling online hate comments the same way if I had been receiving them back in my teens.

In short, I wanted to share my experience of online hate as I think the issue should have more light shed on it. As I am sure I am not the only one who has experienced this in the blogging community. It obviously comes with putting yourself out there online, but how do you deal with cyber bullying or have you been affected by it? I would love to know your thoughts on this topic.

What Are Your Thoughts on Cyber Bullying & Online Hate?

P.S These images were originally shot to share my Givenchy Antigona handbag review, which you can view on YouTube here or watch in the embedded post below.