Anonymity brings out the worst in people and after the Durban July, cyberbullies took to social media to tear a woman down, here is why that isn’t okay!
After the start of the TV show ‘Fashion Police’ a new form of bullying was normalised! With “fashion critics” such as the late Joan Rivers and Kelly Osborn sitting spewing out mean and hurtful comments on television, they created a way for people to join in and criticise without feeling shame or fear!
Looking back on our own lives, nearly all of us have suffered a fashion faux-pas at one time or another, imagine we were faced with the same cruel scrutiny we so easily dish out to others! Using social media as a form of expression and sharing opinions is fine, but as soon as it becomes something we would personally find hurtful, it is bullying!
Over the weekend the Durban July took place and a woman by the name of Zodwa attended in a dress that many found questionable. As soon as the images hit the internet, women and men alike joined in to criticise and ridicule her appearance.
Many turned cruel and viscous, sharing hateful opinions about a human being they have never met!
Our founder and resident Good Things Guy, Brent Lindeque, wrote a post on his personal Facebook page about the bullying that Zodwa had to endure and sharing his thoughts on how people have behaved and how it just isn’t okay! So we thought we would share that post here because it is something everyone should read!
I have been watching the various threads about the girl in the dress at the Durban July & all I can say is that I truly hope you never have to feel the wrath of the online world for not fitting in.
I hope you never get sent to be burned on the social media stake… just for making a mistake.
That woman is a human being.
And she is seeing all the hatred that YOU are spreading.
She is someones child, someones mother and someones friend.
Every single person who has taken to their keyboards to publicly ridicule her or her dress is a bully.
A bully hiding behind a screen. And it is absolutely disgusting.
Shame on you for judging. Shame on you for thinking you are better than someone else. Shame on you for not realizing that you are publicly bulling another human without an actual reason.
I hope the vile words you loosely throw around never get directed at you… or your child… or your friend.
And to the woman who wore that dress…
I am so, so sorry that you have had to face the most sordid, horrible side of humanness.
So there it is folks! We need to become a conscious society that thinks about people’s feelings before we act! As our mothers and grandmothers always taught us… “Think before you speak” and “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”
by 