Mean Girls
The 2004 flick Mean Girls portrayed the underbelly of adolescent bullying pre-Instagram, Twitter, and Tik-Tok. With the advent of social media on steroids in our 21st century world, bullying has only changed form.
Bullying or just downright meanness is not, nor has ever, manifested solely among females. Men are just as capable of haranguing someone with words that taunt, manipulate, and tear someone down — figuratively or literally.
As writers, words are our sustenance, our fuel to build and share ideas. Words are jewels strung together to shine thoughts from different angles. Words are verbal bridges to connect humanity and our world.
So, why do some writers feel the need to eviscerate other writers? Again, the “mean girl” mentality is not gender — nor age specific.
I was elated when a friend introduced me to Medium. Imagine: a world where writers from all walks of life come together to share their verbal jewels! I felt like I’d just walked into a candy store of the mind.
And then it happened: an article criticizing inexperienced writers for doing x,y, and z; sharing with the reader what NOT to do in a tone that rendered its author looking down from High Above. The words themselves carried the weight of a red pen, lashing negativity into the sacred cyberspace.
Then I happened upon another article. This one was informative and positive. Yet again, another (albeit new) High Above critic pointed with sharp, unforgiving fingers at what was wrong with the story.
Granted, I am new to Medium, and thankfully, the stories and commentary on the site are overwhelmingly positive and supportive in nature.
So, I share my two cents worth of a reminder that we as writers are here together, to help each other. Constructive criticism is one thing; tearing someone down to elevate one’s ego is another.