Dress: American Apparel, Shirt: ASOS, Necklace: Noemi Klein

I love the internet. I’ve been browsing it daily since I was ten years old, when I began building websites and keeping a blog. Over the years, I’ve made so many friends here from places in the world to which I couldn’t even point on a map at the time, and I’ve even been fortunate enough to meet some of them in real life. My high school years would have driven me insane with loneliness had I not had a place to pour my obnoxious adolescent rants, without sympathetic shoulders to metaphorically cry on.

But sometimes it can just be a vile place. I’m starting to really and truly understand how thick of a skin it requires to put yourself out there, especially when people actually start paying attention. Luckily I’ve never been subjected to cyber-bullying like some of my friends (like on /cgl), so I really don’t have room to complain. All that I know is I have some incredibly strong friends.

Sadly this is the price we pay for the anonymity and openness of the internet. It is both wonderfully and dangerously free. I know negativity will always be an issue, but all I’m saying is, next time you think about sending someone a hateful anonymous message, or leaving them a critical comment about their appearance, seriously consider picking up a good book or watching a good movie instead. I promise you your time will be better spent.