This week has been Suicide Prevention Week, so I figure I'll write about it as I see it as a very important and overlooked topic. Well, I don't even think overlooked is the correct term. Too many people see the subject as a joke. A literal, “let's all laugh and spread the hilarity” joke. It's sick, really. Beyond sick.
No, I have never dealt with depression or suicidal thoughts, though I know plenty of people who have dealt with at least one of the two. I know how serious of a disease it is. But that's what too many people refuse to believe, that it's a disease. I know it can be difficult to understand, but people need to try harder to understand. The reason I'm writing this today is because I've seen two of the most beautiful girls who have struggled with depression get attacked for defending their opinions against a photo that was edited to say “Depression? Kill ur [sic] self.” All they said was that it was offensive and ignorant. Of course, as this is the Internet, retaliation was even more ignorant, saying things varying from “Kill yourself twice” to implying one was a transsexual man. What does it say about humanity as a whole when someone doesn't realize that telling someone to kill themselves could actually lead to them killing themselves if that person was just looking for a final reason to do it? It's as though society is moving backwards instead of forward. I really don't think these people would be writing things like “Cancer? Just die already.” So why is it okay to joke about depression and suicide? It's a disease just as cancer is. So what I'm asking you as my readers is this. Help raise awareness of depression and suicide. You don't have to donate money to an organization, just help try put a stop to this hate and ignorance. Don't just do it for suicide prevention week, do it all day, every day. If you see someone making jokes about it, tell them that it's not funny and explain to them why it's not a joke. If you know someone suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, talk to them. Better yet, just listen to them. Some people just need a place to let out everything they're feeling to help themselves through it. If you're suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, don't give up. Listen to your favorite band if music's your thing, find a friend, a doctor, the suicide hotline, whatever. But know that you're not alone in the world. Here's some websites you may be interested in: http://www.twloha.com/ http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
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Hate on the Internet is a thought that's often on my mind. The thought was brought back to the front of my mind this morning when I saw a story about some act of “revenge” Justin Bieber had on his Twitter. He apparently posted the phone number of his “enemy,” who allegedly hacked into a friend of Bieber's twitter account. The boy received thousands of text messages and phone calls. And why? Because the Internet let Justin Bieber send his hate without actually having to deal with the boy himself?
You know how in elementary school, there was always the bully that didn't beat kids up. He/she would just find your weakness and use it. If you thought you were fat, you best believe that bully is going to start making fun of your weight and then whatever else he/she sees fit. When it comes to the Internet now, too many people are seeming more and more like that bully. I've been using the Internet for years now and one thing I've noticed is the increase in hate people show others. And I don't mean the “we used to be friends, but you betrayed me so now I hate you” sort of hate. I mean the hate that comes from complete strangers and pick at absolutely anything. Even if what Justin Bieber did was childish and low (which it was), at least he kept his name attached to the issue, though he did delete the tweet a few minutes later. That's more than I can say for some. Many websites allow anonymous comments, which leads to all of these morons thinking it's okay to bring someone down. And what makes it worse is the lows these anonymous people will sink to just to make someone feel bad. I've seen beautiful people called ugly. I've seen people be made fun of over health issues the person has no control over whether it be physical or mental. I've seen people called every name in the book just because the commenter has no real reason to dislike the person. And why do they do it? Because they can. They have the option of saying whatever they please without suffering any real consequences. We've all seen cyber bullying on the news. Some people are even driven to self-harm and even suicide because the person thinks it's funny or something. And these people still think it's okay to be like that. Now, I' m not sitting here saying all of this to preach about cyber bullying and how websites need to be shut down, blah blah blah. There are actually plenty of people who use the anonymous function for what it's there for—to join a conversation when you are not part of the website, to ask advice without the fear of being judged, to compliment someone. I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is that the amount of hate is exponentially higher compared to the amount of good. I mean, really, how unhappy must you be with your own pathetic life to have to bring anyone and everyone around you down to your level? Basically, I guess what I'm saying is the people who are doing these things really need to take a step back, reevaluate their life and, above all, grow up. If you're a person that does this, I suggest you leave my blog and never come back. You're not cute. You're not funny. You're just showing everyone just how pathetic you really are. And, because I like to hope the people who come across my blog aren't like that, I think that everyone should go out of their way at least once and let someone know how beautiful or funny or cool or whatever you think they are. Even if you don't know them. The Internet could really use more love. Let's start a revolution. Stop the hate, spread the love. Source for the Bieber story. |
AuthorHello! I'm Lindsey. I'm a writer with a ton of random thoughts bouncing around in my head. So I share them here in hopes that they reach others with these thoughts. Archives
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