Social Media Makes It Easy to Be Cruel

It’s wild how brave people get when they’re sitting behind a screen. Words that would never leave their mouths in real life suddenly pour out through a keyboard. It feels like social media has given everyone a voice, but too many use that voice to tear others down instead of lifting them up.

There’s a strange kind of courage that comes with being online. People feel untouchable when no one can see their face or hear their tone. They comment without thinking, forgetting (or not caring) that there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. Someone who feels every insult and reads every cruel word.

Disagreement online has turned into destruction. Instead of conversation, we see humiliation. Instead of empathy, we see mockery. And once one person throws the first stone, others follow.

What most don’t realize is that those “harmless” comments can cut deep. People carry those words with them. Some stop sharing. Some stop creating. Some just stop showing up. The damage isn’t just digital, it’s emotional and sometimes permanent.

You don’t know what someone is going through when they post that photo, share that story, or make that comment. You don’t lose anything by being kind. But you might give someone exactly what they need to keep going.