I find myself having difficulty writing this post because every time I start typing a knot forms in my throat and my eyes fill with tears. Last week, Lizzie Velásquez, an influencer, anti-bully advocate, author and, public speaker, spoke up against a horrific new trend on the TikTok app.
Users of the app use a Snapchat FaceTime filter to conceal their faces with someone else's face. The idea is to use a silly, innocent picture to be funny. However, this trend has quickly gotten out of control. As Lizzie shared, she has once again been the target of bullying on social media. A mother, a TikTok user, thought it was acceptable to misuse a picture of Lizzie to show her young son his new teacher. In the video, you can see the mom smile as she turns the phone around, and then you see his horrified reaction. Like myself, Lizzie was born with a genetic condition; her physical appearance is atypical, like mine. I want to clarify that this is just one example; this was not a one time misuse of the trend.
This mother and anyone that partakes in this trend should be ashamed of themselves. Do they not realize what they are doing is called cyberbullying? Just because you find an image online does not permit you to use it maliciously. Even if the owner of the image never finds out, it is still wrong. Do these people not consider the long term effects of their joke? The mom who showed her son Lizzie's picture is teaching him to be scared of people that look different and that it is acceptable to make fun of others.
As an adolescent, my classmates bullied me. My haven was my home; I loved Friday afternoons because the bullying would stop with that last bell, and that meant I would have two whole days where I would not have to see my classmates. Unfortunately, with apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, among others, it is difficult to escape from bullies. I consider myself lucky because cyberbullying was not as prevalent as it is today. Maybe, I am mistaken, but at least I did not experience this form of bullying. I cannot imagine not being able to escape from my tormentors and not being able to shot it off.
When will society as a whole realize the repercussions of bullying? When will adults recognize that children mirror their behavior? If that behavior is bullying, then it is cemented in young minds that it is appropriate to ridicule others. This time we are having this conversation due to TikTok. Sadly, it is just a matter of time until it is another social media platform.
I ask that you not promote trends that have the tendency to harm any living organism because, quite frankly, bullying does not stop at humans. Trends like the TikTok one, cause unforeseen harm that participants do not take into account. Please be vigilant if you see something inappropriate; I ask that you report it because that is the only way to make it stop. Lizzie is an incredibly brave woman; she has become the Joan of Arc of antibullying.
