I recently discovered a French YouTube channel where the YouTuber does some investigating to shed light on cases that have made the headlines on social networks, such as Eugenia Cooney or Amberlynn Reid, of whom I had never heard. (The channel in question is Aline dessine, if any of you speak French.)

I think it’s normal for people to make certain judgments at times — we’re human. Who, after a bad day at work, hasn’t watched a reality show and thought how stupid the contestants can be, but kept watching because it can be entertaining?

I don’t watch TV anymore, but yes, I admit, when I was a teenager I watched popular TV programs, saw a scantily clad girl, and thought to myself, what a sl&#. The difference was that not using social networks at the time, I kept this thought to myself. I think today that feeding such thoughts is unhealthy, judging others negatively for the sake of entertainment doesn’t help, but at least you’re only hurting yourself when you keep these thoughts in your mind and not share them on social media.

Social networking has brought the ability to express all our unfounded crappy judgments to the main people involved and hurt their feelings. Some videos I watched on the YouTube channel mentioned above relate, among other things, to two extreme cases. One of an anorexic and the other of a morbidly obese woman who has made a career on YouTube, and it’s easy to see how things could have gone badly wrong really fast. Obesity and anorexia are DISEASES. Are we going to laugh at someone with cancer? I’d like to say no, but I’m pretty sure there are cases of people with cancer who have been shamed.

It’s crazy to see that YouTube channels have been created for the sole purpose of ridiculing someone. Particularly in the case of Amberlynn Reid, entire channels have the sole content of talking about and making fun of her. So being a bully is a job? Because the owners of these channels are clearly making money given their number of views (far higher than those of their inspiration source’s channel).

I say to myself that it’s a good thing my grandmother didn’t have access to social networks because you get a bit bitter sometimes as you get older. The number of times I’ve heard her comment when she saw people on TV: “That girl dresses like a little boy” “This one’s a little chubby.” “This man is unshaven and looks like a beggar.” and a lot more. Imagine if she could have written to all those people to tell them what they thought. I know some people do… But no, my grandmother just grumbled at people on TV without hurting anyone and these haters should all do the same.

If someone doesn’t like someone else’s look on Instagram, they have every right to think so, but they can keep that thought to themselves and get on with their lives. Why the need to leave a nasty comment on an Instagram profile?

If someone doesn’t find the content of a YouTube channel relevant, fine, but they’re free to change channels. Nothing forces them to watch. Why insult the person creating the content?

I know that’s not about to change. As long as there is content on the web, there will be people to hate it and share that negative opinion.

I think social networks can be a great way to communicate and share.

Whether it’s online or in any other form of communication, I believe that there’s generally no point in communicating negativity. It doesn’t help either the person expressing it or the person being criticized.

Just like in real life, if your co-worker comes in with a really ugly sweater, do we go up to him and say “Hey! Your sweater is ugly!” No. On the other hand, if we love his sweater, we’ll tell him so.

I’m dreaming, but I’d love it if one-day social media could be like that, where we only shared good vibes and beautiful things.

I’d like all social networks to be like Panodyssey or Medium, where there’s general mutual aid and good intentions.