If You Don’t Have Something Nice To Say, Step Away From The Keyboard
In the words of Mr. Allan in Liar Liar, I LOVE A GOOD ROAST! Self deprecating humor is my wheelhouse for sure. I can laugh at myself and don't mind lighthearted ribbing at my expense. I've often joked about having a Comedy Central Roast themed birthday party. Life is too short to take yourself seriously. But there's a difference between good-natured teasing and flat out vicious attacks.
I'm even a good sport when the Treasure Valley Trolls get keyboard happy and voice their complaints and criticisms of me and the show. Though the comments aren't nice, they don't seem rooted in visceral hate. they're innocuous gems that make me laugh more than anything. I have a sense of self that allows me to enjoy these remarks.
But there have been several instances, starting far back in my youth, where people have felt the need to tear into me with a malice I do not understand. The comment section on my YouTube channel is littered with suggestions that I kill myself for being such worthless trash. Insinuations that I deserve to be raped or assaulted based on my bust size. There are comments somehow even more vile than that (which have been reported and deleted).
I'm thankfully in a healthy mental space that I know I don't deserve such comments, nor would I commit suicide despite the hundreds of messages urging me to do so. But then I think of teens and tweens who are already on social media during a very formative season of their lives. These kinds of messages are detrimental to their psyche and have lead to suicide more times than can be counted without it being an alarming number.
I'm not a psychologist or a therapist, but I do know that we must all do better. There is no reason to wish harm on others or wish them to harm themselves. Behind a keyboard it can be easy to clack away at the keys with no regard for who is on the receiving end. But if you wouldn't feel comfortable saying it to the person's face, don't say it from behind the keyboard. You can feel it's wrong, so just don't. If you would say it to the person's face...well, I suggest you seek therapy because who hurt you?