The kindness of strangers
Maintaining anonymity is one of the many virtues the Internet offers. Many people find refuge in the digital space, knowing they can escape reality and be —or present themselves as— someone completely different. For some, this is a tool to connect safely; for others, it’s a way to express their hatred and frustration without consequences.
Hate on the internet is more common than ever. Social media and oversharing have made it easier. The more we share, the more likely we are to be attacked by troll #3845390 on the other side of the world. Now, it’s not just about being insulted in a forum for disagreeing with someone’s opinion. Now, the hateful person knows our real name and has access to dozens of personal photos, contacts, and, in the worst-case scenario, our IP.1
Hateful comments are the main reason I left X (RIP Twitter). No matter what you post, there will always be some clever troll replying with hate just to generate engagement on the platform. Every year, it became more flooded with bait and controversy, not to mention how political and polarized its community became.
I like video games, so I keep up with what's happening in this community that, honestly, embarrasses me. It can be incredibly toxic. Its members are notorious for sending death threats to developers, voice actors, or artists whenever they try to innovate or introduce new ideas into X video game franchise2 that was once their favorite.
Seems like everywhere we turn, there's hate polluting every corner of the internet.
Before writing this, I spent a lot of time thinking about how hate has spread across social media. But I also started reflecting on all the good things that some strangers on the internet do for other strangers on the internet.
Today, we see stories of people sharing their daily lives on TikTok, working to pay off a debt, only to receive support from hundreds of others through donations, helping them pay it off even faster.
There are countless stories of artists on Instagram or YouTubers who have been able to quit their office jobs (or literally escape poverty) and dedicate themselves to what they love most, thanks to people consuming, sharing, and buying their art.
There are hundreds of strangers on Instagram reels leaving words of encouragement for people bravely sharing their weight loss progress, those rehabilitating from life-changing accidents, entrepreneurs launching a business, or individuals learning something new that’s costing them blood, sweat, and tears.
And then there’s us —writing, sharing our thoughts and feelings like shouts into the void— receiving support from others doing the same. People who share a passion for writing and who kindly send an email or leave a message in someone’s guestbook, expressing how much they enjoyed a post or the way it was written.
That deserves recognition, too. While some are spewing venom at the slightest provocation, others are out here supporting the passions of people they’ve never even met in real life.
And yes, this post was inspired by the fact that I just added a guestbook to this blog today. If you’d like, feel free to stop by, say hello, and share some love.
And yes, I also wanted to take this opportunity to highlight how wonderful it is when strangers are kind to each other. And to remind you that we have the power to make the internet a more welcoming place for everyone.
I almost forgot: fuck those content creators that monetize kindness.
📖 Be kind to yourself so you can be kind to others. Thanks for reading.
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Seriously, it blows my mind how normal it has become —especially on social media— to share so much about ourselves.↩
One of the most controversial cases was The Last of Us 2. Check this article for context.↩