Think before you speak because words, written or spoken, are powerful. They should solely be used to encourage and compliment others, rather than used to bring someone down or hurt one’s feelings.
Many are familiar with Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show segment, “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets,” in which celebrities take a comedic approach towards confronting harsh tweets that they have received online. The Canadian Safe Schools Network (CSSN) took another approach and released a PSA featuring regular teenagers reading mean tweets. The lasting impression was not a laughing matter at all.
Viewers instead experienced chills as teens read aloud hateful tweets they received such as:
“Allan’s voice is so annoying it makes me wish I was deaf.”
“You’re a huge loser.”
“No one likes you. Do everyone a favor. Just kill yourself.”
The PSA closes with the CSSN tagline, “Cyberbullying is no joke.” Although disturbing, the PSA is highly effective in its effort to spread awareness about the extremely prevalent issue of cyberbullying.
Stu Auty, president of the CSSN, stated, “We wanted to use the ‘Mean Tweets’ model because in a way, those videos give the message that cyberbullying is ok—even funny. But adult celebrities have the maturity and confidence to overcome these hurtful words. Children don’t. For regular kids, words can cut like a knife. Cyberbullying is an epidemic that invades their lives and leaves many feeling like there’s no way out” (Elle.com)
Our goal, as a generation bombarded with social media, must be to spread positivity in the effort to end cyberbullying. We must ignore what others say and not let cruel words bring us down. As college students, it is sometimes hard to keep a positive mindset and not let our insecurities prevail. Everyone deserves to love who they are and have confidence in themselves. There is no need to compare oneself to others, because everyone is a unique individual, truly one of a kind. As Lucille Ball once said, “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”