Between computers, iPhones, social media, and the indescribable amount of time teens spend on their phones, it isn't surprising that cyber bullying is prevalent in today's society. But people tend to focus on physical, verbal, and cyber bullying because it is easy to see. Of course, these things are harmful beyond belief. But rumors, gossip, and social bullying can be unstoppable. Most people don't even realize they could hurt someone when talking about them behind their backs. Kids can whisper behind other's backs to feel better about themselves, to get attention, to gain power, to get revenge, but from personal experience, people talk behind other's backs because they can. Perhaps they think that when the person they talk about can't hear, neither the bully nor the victim can get hurt.
In "Understanding the Impact of Rumors and Gossip", it states, "gossip ... can alienate friends, ruin reputations and even lead to ostracizing behavior and other forms of relational aggression." This means that, eventually, it will destroy your self esteem, which can lead to "increased likelihood of depression, can seriously impair academic and job performance, and lead to increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol use." Gossip can destroy somebody, from the inside out.
I can hope that this story will show people that they don't have to change. I can hope that this story will show kids that thinking you are nobody at all is better than being the same as somebody else. If you hear them talking about you, don't ignore it. Don't change who you are to stop it. Don't stop being you to please them. Be amazing. Be incredible. And if you hear them talking, give them something to talk about. They are the audience to your one-man show, but you don't have to be the audience to theirs.
Works Cited
http://cmhc.utexas.edu/selfesteem.html
http://bullying.about.com/od/Effects/a/Understanding-The-Impact-Of-Rumors-And-Gossip.htm
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