The draw of social media to someone who starves themselves of contact with people is huge. The opportunity to communicate with others, without the need for actual personal interactions is hard to resist at times. But it is not without its risks.
From time to time I find myself withdrawing from face to face interactions with people, as it is just how I feel at the time. At times like this I like to keep in touch with the world, current affairs, and friends from the comfort and security of my own home. As any regular reader of the blog will know, keeping in touch is important to me, even if it is a boring monologue at times. Either way, for those important to me, it is a way of letting them know all is well, I am just having "a moment".
Unfortunately, as I have found over recent months, during various encounters, it can also be a bit of a lions den at times too. Speaking your mind is a tough one, as exercising your freedom to do so, also reminds you that others have the same right to do so. So taking offence simply at someones stance on something is not really on, and it is a case of sucking it up. Pretty much the rules of social media and the WWW really.
Of course, there is expressing your opinion on something, then there is actively trolling, and trying to cause offence. That is a little bit different. I am no stranger to speaking my mind, and causing upset on my blog, I have been doing it for years, sometimes even to family and loved ones, and I don't see that changing any time soon. Speaking my mind is one thing I feel strongly about, and feel that everyone should express themselves, as long as it is in a factual and fair way.
What I take sincere offence to, is when someone repeatedly targets someone in such a way that it protects their identity, while trying to damage the reputation of the target. Slanderous and unfounded comments, posted in irrelevant and opportunistic places to maximise its audience and effect on the person.
For me, I will honestly say that recent such attacks have caused me great upset. Not by what has been said, but because of the targeted way it has been carried out, and the justifications given when questioned on their actions. Before any one person gets too carried away, and their ego starts to inflate, this is not about ONE person, nor ONE comment. This is me speaking out against ANYONE who feels they are within their rights to attack someone online with no foundation. Facts are fine. And I mean facts, not opinions. But opinions tainted with spite are not facts, and should not be expressed, and certainly not in a manner in which its only intention is to cause upset, and in my case, instability in mental wellbeing.
Mental health is not a laughing matter, not a joke, nor an excuse for poor behaviour. I would not, and will not use my condition as an excuse to say anything I say. If I make a comment, write a blog, or express my opinion in the moment, it will be done openly, in my own name, and not forced upon others by spreading it out of context. I like to feel that any comments I have made in the past about ANY person, has been able to be justified, and backed up by hard facts, usually in the form of written comments, messages or other such communications.
I will wrap this up by saying, I am not against people expressing their opinions about me, god only knows how many people have done just that. All I would ask is that it is done honestly, openly, and not done to simply try and damage my mental state.
Sitting up all night, running scenarios through your head is not a nice existence. And the less people who have to go through that because of the spiteful and vindictive actions of another, knowing they are having that exact effect, the better.
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