We can end social media bullying, it all starts with you.

Growing up in a protective family environment, I always thought my parents will have everything covered and I will be safe from any form of harm. Not until I was introduced to the world of social media. It was fun at first, reconnecting with old pals and making new friends - until the day social media turns into a platform for people to compete and verbal bully viciously. Expression of self is no longer allowed because people will judge and find ways to make you feel as if you are not worthy of sharing your perspectives about life.I got bullied on social media a couple of times for living my life the way I wanted to. That experience alone is enough to leave marks on my self-confidence. I thought to myself, maybe if I become like one of them, they would stop being mean to me. I ended up became one among many who falls into the trap of trying to please people on social media. I would spend most of my time editing my sentences, making sure it is free from grammar error and would not offend anyone I wanted to impress before I upload them. It is scary to think back about it because it changes me in a way I often feel the urge to follow online trends such as leaving negative comments on viral post and making sure everyone had a good laugh on my sarcastic comments toward others. I became their puppet. Deep down, I hated it - this is not how I want my social media platform to be. I want to inspire people through social media, not bullying. One day I decided, this is it. I will put an end to this show. I started to show people the real me – my passion for art, music and poetry; my love for the little things in life that makes beautiful memories. I left all the negative influence behind and moved on.Slowly, I changed into a much better person than I was yesterday and so did my friends! We are no longer social media prisoners. I am glad I choose this path. Now, I am looking forward to a continual growth and influencing others to use social media in a positive way. My reminder to everyone out there, you too can make a difference. We can end social media bullying, it all starts with you.