Worst Case Scenario: Internet Edition - Anonymous Hate

It’s hard to hide your feelings when you log onto Tumblr or Formspring and find anonymous messages that aren’t “You’re super cute.” or “I love your blog.” The power of anonymity tends to go to people’s heads, and it takes thick skin and internet experience to be able to blow off anonymous internet hate. If you have neither of those then these following ideas will help you get through:

1. Have fun with it. Simply ignoring the hate can give the hater the idea that they have gotten to you and that they have won. Fuck that. The best way to respond to them is to never give a serious answer and jokingly hate on yourself more than they hated on you. For example, if someone calls you ugly, say “You’re damn right I’m ugly. I’ve won the Ugliest Person In The Southern Hemisphere Award three times in a row. Looking for a fourth come July.” Responses such as that will really get under their skin.

2. Accept it. Anonymous hate is exactly what it is: Anonymous hate. If someone wants to hide their identity in order to insult you then you already know you’re better than them. You’re Coca-Cola and they’re Pepsi. You’re Rachel and they’re Monica. You’re the original Star Wars trilogy and they’re the prequels. The perpetrator is probably just jealous, and they definitely aren’t your friend. They don’t deserve your time of day.

3. Disallow it. If you struggle with the first two steps then your best bet is just to disallow anonymous messages. Decide whether anonymous flirting is worth anonymous hate and act accordingly. This decision is likely to be one of the hardest you’ll make in your entire life, so take your time with it until you realise the right thing to do.