I, like many others who go on Facebook, use it as a platform for information. Information on current affairs, world issues, viral videos, quick food recipes, and even celebrity news. Today afternoon on my way back from tutoring, on top of my news feed was an article on Kim Kardashian robbed at gunpoint in Paris. The issue itself is very distressing but what really prompted me to write this post is after what I saw in the comment section.
I’ve seen a fair share of rude comments on social media directed towards Kim Kardashian and her family over the years. Whenever I saw posts on the Kardashian family, there were endless criticisms directed towards them (Kim K. more often than her family). People commenting on how instead of talking about Kim K.’s outfit of the day news media should focus more on crisis occurring around the world, how bad her parenting is, how she shouldn’t wear something so revealing, and the list goes on. And every time I see these comments I ignored them hoping that people around the world who are reading the same comments as I am would ignore them as well. I ignore these comments because I know that’s how social networking sites like Facebook works. There will always be people sitting behind their desks writing these hateful comments thinking there are no repercussions. So instead of wasting my time on these people I don’t know and I don’t care for, I just ignore them. But I could not believe what I saw when I scrolled down to the comment section of the recent post regarding Kim K.
“Why oh why didn’t they just shoot her when they had the chance and rid us of her uselessness! smh lol”
When I saw this and the 188 ‘likes’ on that particular comment, as well as other rude comments, I couldn’t just ignore it. Because nobody should receive that kind of comment after the ordeal she has gone through. Actually no. Regardless of what situation anyone has gone through, nobody should receive that kind of comment, ever. Just because you are given a social platform and freedom of speech doesn’t mean the whole world wants to listen to the negative and hurtful things you have to say. How cyberbullying is tolerated in these social services and how these comments get ‘likes’ at all simply baffles me.
If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Celebrities are put on pedestals not for us to constantly bash them. And the frequency of this particular family (as well as other public faces) receiving negativity is speechless. Yes, as public faces they are trained to take these comments with a grain of salt. But what did they ever do to you that deserves such comments? Nobody deserves to receive that kind of insensitive comments and I’m sure these ignorant people behind their desks would not want hurtful comments directed at them as well. If the news of the Kardashian family annoys you, unsubscribe to the news media on Facebook and find alternate means of receiving current news. Because news media on social networking services will probably continue posting more news around these celebrities as they deem it relevant and trendy. These public faces do not deserve to be bashed by others, and nobody should receive death threats.
Cyberbullying should not be tolerated. I really hope Kim K. and her family will recover well after the horrible thing she had to go through, and I also hope there comes a time in the future when people are held responsible for the vicious things they spit out online.
tiffany hs cho. 