This is the week after Donald Trump became President Elect. It is also Anti-Bullying week.
The new president says people who are bullied “gotta get over it”.
The new president has often mocked those who are different on numerous occasions, including people who are disabled or “fat” – in his eyes.
His attitude has changed the world and has made things even rougher for children often mockingly labelled “special snowflakes”. Young LGBTAQ children, young girls, minorities. The sensitive, and especially the empaths. An empath is someone who is highly sensitive and attuned to the emotions of other people. Not only do empaths notice the positive and negative emotions around them, but they can even absorb them and take them onto themselves. (Find out more on http://yourzengrowth.com/empath/)
I am a mild empath (it is what has driven me into psychology, given me a need to help people.) Lately, I’ve felt overwhelmed by the hurt and confusion and division in the world, most of this created by the internet.
Social media has done a lot to both bring groups together and separate at the same time.
“Let’s face it, a lot of interpersonal communication isn’t so personal anymore. Interpersonal definition has been changed by the Internet and technology. There’s always a screen between us, isn’t there? However, most of us still find that interpersonal communication is far less stressful when we perform it via digital channels. That’s because when we’re online, we don’t have to worry about misreading body language cues. We also don’t have to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed for having an unpopular opinion in our social circle”, says Joshua S.
This is true and this has given rise to people grouping together to bully others in the most spiteful way and create online movements that move into the real world: you can radicalise entire groups while you’re laying on the sofa in your underpants. Radical Islam and Alt-Right groups are the biggest examples, but school children too can group together to bully the weakest one in their class relentlessly. Online bullying means that it never stops: you can be bullied day and night! This week another child committed suicide because of this.
Online bullying means that it never stops: you can be bullied day and night! This week another child committed suicide because of this.
With the new president himself being a well-known internet bully and those that follow him training and organising themselves to bully and attack anyone who is against him this will only get worse.
Already this week, as with Brexit, the bullying that started online is seeping into the real world with attacks on people and buildings.
Anti-bullying week is needed more than ever: everyone should use this week to warn of the dangers of online bullying because they can have big consequences. Words can hurt deeper than we can ever imagine and lead to worldwide damage and the loss of our most beautiful snowflakes.
To protect them, the world and ourselves we must form our own group as a blanket of protection against hatred now and in the future.
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Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you'd like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.