I began watching YouTube over a year ago, mainly out of boredom with my possible T.V. show options. I discovered the beauty community right off the bat and ended up getting involved myself. One of my favorite beauty contributors, Sandy, has made the decision to stop uploading any new videos. The reason is what is referred to on YouTube as "the haters", people who purposefully write nasty and degrading comments to YouTube contributors. It is really a shame as Sandy has a lot to offer, and not just in the realm of beauty. I really enjoyed her memories of her childhood, or stories about her grandchildren, or just her take on a particular product, even if I didn't plan to buy it myself. We really can't afford to lose her, as those of us in the mid-forties to fifties age range on YouTube, are few and far between. We are forced to, due to the insensitivity or indifference of others.
What ever happened to the "Golden Rule"? I guess my phrasing is old fashioned, does "Karma" have more meaning to some? Or maybe we have a whole generation or two of people who think their blunt honesty is refreshing, when it is only hurtful. I think it all comes down to the anonymity of the internet, and how it gives some courage to say whatever pops into their heads, with no filter, when that filter would definitely exist if they ran into you on the street. This situation has actually existed for years. Before the internet was even a term, I worked for a major computer software company in New England in the 1980s/1990s. This company had a kind of internet within the company, an online forum encompassing a wide variety of subjects, and the nastiness existed there, or maybe began there. Whether you call it the "Golden Rule", "Karma" or "What goes around, comes around?", you should think before you type. Whether you realize it or not, your words can hurt and possibly cause someone to lose their favorite YouTuber's videos. Or possibly cause something even worse to happen. My mother had the best advice, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"
Hi Donna! I didn't know you started a blogspot. Welcome aboard.
ReplyDeleteGraham calls the haters trolls. Once he put a name on them, and turned them into a group, their comments became easier to take. The thing is, their hate is not personal--it stems from self-disgust. I pity the haters, rather than allow them to ruin my day.
Now the ones who come by with constructive criticism--those leave marks (but my skin is getting very thick). Once the initial "you mean I'm not perfect" wears off, I appreciate those comments even more than the praise.