Think before you comment.
Jennie Runk, Model
The hater: "A few years ago, I posted a picture to Facebook of myself in a bikini while I was on vacation. I wanted to share an unedited, unfiltered photo for my fans in order to show that most images in the media are altered and that models have real bodies, too, with our fair share of stretch marks, dimples, and jiggly bits. I can't remember the exact comment, but it was something along the lines of 'If it jiggles, it's fat and should be covered up!'
It was shocking to see something so negative on a post that was intended to help people who may be struggling with their own body image. Many of my fans have similar body types to mine, and I was worried they would take the comment to heart. I didn't want this kind of negativity visible where my fans could see it and possibly be influenced by it."
How she overcame: "At first, I was shocked and hurt. I even talked to my mom about it. Through talking to her, I realized that I value her opinion much more than some stranger’s on the internet. Why should I care what this random person thinks when I have a ton of friends, a fiancé who thinks the world of me, and a loving family who all think I'm perfect the way I am?"
Advice on dealing with bullies: "My advice to anyone dealing with online bullying is to think about who that person is to you. If they're a total stranger, why bother worrying about what they think? Instead, consider your friends and family, the ones who spend the most time with you and know you the best. Also, no one knows you better than you know yourself, so it's your own opinion of yourself that is the most valuable."
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Nicolette Mason, Blogger
The hater: "It was a comment that someone put thought and time into writing, and it stung. The negative comments I receive are, thankfully, few and far between, but when they're so specific and go beyond 'you're fat' (yeah, I know) or 'you're ugly' (so subjective), it's hard to just 'ignore the haters,' like we're so frequently told to do. I think it's easy to forget that the person receiving these comments is a person, and even if it's among dozens of other positive comments, it's going to stick out."
How she overcame: "The thing that has helped me get over it is just knowing that no happy, adjusted person would ever go out of their way to write something mean about a stranger; it's usually out of a place of deep insecurity, fear, jealousy, or other internalized issue. Once I've gotten over the initial sting, I just feel bad for the commenters, because there's obviously something going on in their lives and this is how they're dealing with their emotions."
instagram.com
The hater: "A friend of mine had tagged me in picture on one of those 'curvy' shout-out pages on Facebook. I knew I shouldn't have read the comments, but I couldn't help it. Some of the comments were nice, others were mean, but one in particular really hurt my heart. A man I had never met in my life said someone should kill me because I was fat and didn't deserve to live on this planet. I couldn't believe someone I had never done anything bad to — or even met — said I should be killed just for existing in a fat body."
How she overcame: "It took me a long time to get over people who didn't know a thing about me being so opinionated about me. Then it hit me — these people don't know a thing about me. How could I ever take their opinions seriously?"
Advice on dealing with bullies: "As far as dealing with hateful online comments, I don't. I delete and block anyone who has something horrible to say about me or any of the awesome women I choose to post on my social media pages. I refuse to give them any of my attention or energy. I only focus on the positive comments I receive."
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