R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

When did behaving disrespectfully become okay?

My best friend has recently been a victim of cyber bullying. Considering her situation and the Rebecca Black phenomenon occurred simultaneously, this issue has been frequenting my thoughts as of late. I have endless complaints about that type of behavior, many of which have been covered by other (video)bloggers concerning the uproar of trolling that followed "Friday". However, something that I haven't seen discussed but still can't understand is the point of expressing such hatred through rudeness.

What possible benefit could these people get from making someone feel worse about themselves? It makes no sense to me. People commented on "Friday", telling RB that they hope she cuts herself and dies. Let's just take a moment to consider that. If she really did kill herself, would the person who left that comment feel better about their own lives, or even the world of music in general? I certainly hope not. So why post something so offensive in the first place?

My lovely friend's peers have been tweeting insulting things about her. I won't go into specifics, but beyond my defensive anger on her behalf, I mostly just feel baffled. What was the intent? If these tweets made her cry, would that make them happy? Really? I have never, not once in my entire life, wanted to make someone feel insecure or question their self-worth. Obviously, these people aren't really considering the possible ramifications of their actions. Choosing to insult someone in a public forum such as the internet, where you can never really take it back, is never the right thing to do. It is immature, disrespectful, rude, et cetera et cetera.

So why do people do it? In what way does it improve their own lives? Hurting someone else's feelings never really makes anyone feel better about themselves. I can't comprehend how it would be in any way satisfying. I believe in constructive criticism, but there is a clear difference between that and unwarranted insults.

Just... gah! Be classy, people. Think before you type.