Society & Politics

A Cyberbullying Story

A Cyberbullying Story

Thank you for your patience for reading my Cyberbullying Story. I really feel like I have e to share my side of the story. I'm gonna tell everything that happened; everything that I did and what I experienced. Thank you for your respect of respectful thoughts 🙏🏽

Reddit is one of those social platforms where trolls, couch potatoes, scrubs, sensitive Susie's and no life losers go to ruin other people's lives and make not just their lives, but others miserable.

The security of them being anonymous and from behind the screen, gives them the freedom to say and do whatever they like and not get judge or reprimanded for it. They literally do not care who sees and who they hurt.

Before I continue on with my story, here's a few links, linked to my deleted posts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/mixedrace/comments/prmgvz/an_issued_apology/

https://www.reddit.com/r/mixedrace/comments/p4lgp4/id_wish_people_would_accept_how_i_identify/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/oj66k8/my_growing_collection_of_dolls_that_represents_my/

https://www.reddit.com/r/mixedrace/comments/on57p5/everyone_say_it_loud_im_and_im_proud/

https://www.reddit.com/r/mixedrace/comments/ni2zqt/for_18_mixed_people_whats_your_18/

Sadly, I and my sister were a victim of these kinds of people. It all started when I asked people of Reddit if my European genes showed in my appearance. And as a Black American, people assume I want to look White, just because I'm curious as to what I appear to others, since my ethnicity has been questioned before. Although there were many honest and polite people, it was those few trolls who made a big deal about it. They assumes I hated myself, hated my race and wanted to be White. Which is totally false. Yes, 1/8 of me is White and I claim that part of me. I see why many would become offended over me claiming that, due to history, but that shouldn't make one jump to conclusions.

Months after, I would be harassed about me denying my Blackness and wanting to be White, etc. After a dispute with another Redditor about a post, she decided to post my private PM to her about the matter, for the whole subreddit to see. How humiliating that was. Not too long after that, long threads of nasty and mean comments towards me began. I defended myself by using my words and not taking any crap. Soon, my sister got involved after I told her. I regret getting her involved. Many assumed she was me, since we looked alike and began to say that I was a troll with two accounts. How ridiculous that sounded 🙄 They began to harass her, which ticked me off even more. So I began to PM all who dared to say crap towards my sister and I and say stuff about me. The post was eventually removed, but that didn't stop the trolls from harassing me on other subreddits. I was eventually banned from that subreddit, for “Harassment”, although I was being harassed.

You can see how unfair and unjust that platform is. Even after countless of reporting redditors to the mods and sending them messages about the situation, in the end, I'm the one who gets the boot 👢 But that didn't stop a few from manipulating others, stalking my posts and trying to get me banned from other subreddits.

And yes, there was this one incident where I got so fed up, that in a PM to one Redditor who wouldn't leave me alone, where I called him a “Dum Brit” and a “Half Breed”. Even though in a comment, he judged me for having a “higher than average” of African, I called him a half breed. He has also called me a “Jungle Monkey” and told me to go back to Africa, which he has more recent ties with Africa than I do. Then others accused me of calling mixed race people “biracial mutts” etc. Like how is mutt a racist word? I get how “half breed” can be offensive, but it's not excuse to go and harass someone for it. Although it was wrong of me to call him a half breed, he is one dumb person. I got so tired of the harassment, any reasonable person would go off and say some heated things. After repeatedly trolling my posts and comments and posting my PM conversations with him on his profile, I had enough. Although I made a post apologizing for what I said, but also explaining the situation as to why I was being harassed, that didn't stop one person from making a totally rude and attacking statement towards me. She was like, “Nice apology’. But then went on to say, “You knew what you were f***ing doing and calling someone a half breed is not” etc. She was putting me down so much that I gave her a piece of my mind. Then she tried to say, “I’m not trying to personally attack, just help you. You need help” and blah blah blah. Besides getting messages from random accounts saying racists and hurtful things to me, almost daily, and people trolling my comments and posts, I had enough.

That same night, I approached my sister and said that I had enough and that we both have to deactivate our accounts. She agreed. The next morning, we both deactivate out accounts for good. But before doing so, I made sure that I said goodbye to those who were supportive and nice towards me. I also gave a piece of my mind to the guy who tried to break me down and humiliate me, but ultimately failed. I said what I had to say to him in a PM, and a couple of others, before finally deactivating my account. Besides privately messaging him and giving him a piece of my mind and calling him a Jacka** and a coward, I felt a little better. I also mentioned to him how he was a no life loser behing the screen, as well as a coward. Didn't care if he posted that too, which he didn't. I made it clear that I know, that he knew what he had said and did and the reddit and God knew what he said and did. He did receive two warnings for “Hate in Chat”. He eventually deleted that post on his profile, but the damage is done.

I had also forgot to mention that I had made a couple of posts, which I showed my collection of dolls which represented my ancestry. I had a Nigerian Barbie, and Irish, Norwegian and Native American Barbie, as well. Although all the support and nice comments were overwhelming, it wasn't as overwhelming as the negative comments from those same trolls. Many of them were saying stuff like, “Why are you so obsessed with your ancestry, especially your European ancestry than your African?” Many of them questioned why I had more European dolls than African. Then those negative and hurtful words came back. Many do not know or care to know that there are not many Black dolls that represent African countries, so they assume.

I'm sorry that this was so long, but this is what I had to endure majority of the time that I was part of Reddit. It took me a while to actually come to the conclusion that I had to delete my account. I would wake up in the middle of the night with high anxiety about what kind of messages I would get during the night. I would get stomach aches and my heart would race. That's when I knew I've had enough. I don't get those anymore, so I know why.

Although I am through with that toxic platform, I still suffer from the damage that was caused. I am better now, but I am still healing emotionally and mentally from this. And I advise anyone who is going through that with Reddit to end it right now!

I also want to make it clear to treat others how you want to be treated. Don't retaliate in a way where the tables turn on you or if it will cause you pain mentally, emotionally and physically. Name calling and threatening will not only hurt the other person, but it'll hurt you!

A Cyberbullying Story
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