I am an avid user of the Internet and I am on social media at least twice a day. I consider the Internet a necessity to my daily life, whether it be school related or just a place for me to view enjoyable content. But, I’ve recently noticed a change in the attitude and mood of Internet users and the online world in general.

People have always been rude on the Internet, but now Internet hate is becoming increasingly normal. I’ve seen an article on Twitter about former feminist blogger, Jessica Valenti, deleting her blog because Internet trolls threatened her daughter’s safety. I’ve also opened Instagram to find racist and sexist comments plastered across the photos of actress Leslie Jones.

Even the children of celebrities can be the victim of Internet hate. They are constantly having their actions, outfits and facial expressions overanalyzed. It seems like any tweets, Instagram posts, Snapchats or Youtube videos are met with a constant hateful nature. This becomes especially true if you have a large follower count or you post about something controversial.

Internet users may think that celebrities or those who open themselves up to the public don’t read these comments, but that doesn’t mean that it’s OK to post them. Not only does it affect the actual owner of the account, but also other Internet users who may be viewing these rude and unnecessary comments.

Of course I’m not saying that you should always keep comments to yourself; sometimes people need criticism to improve, but please give criticism constructively. The growing problem in today’s society is that many people don’t know or refuse to acknowledge the difference between criticism and constructive criticism.

Saying that someone is ignorant or dumb for their opinion isn’t helpful and won’t make them spontaneously change their mind. Acknowledging their points and explaining to them why their opinion is wrong, respectfully, might be able to help them grow mentally and shape their mind. The omnipresent culture of hatefulness on the Internet makes the online world less enjoyable for many people, including myself.

Even though Internet hate has the potential to last for a very long time, we, as the youth who impact and shape society, can stop the spread and normality of it. If you’re not sure what you can do, here are some guidelines. First of all, leave your snarky opinions and comments to yourself. If you feel like your opinion is necessary, you can communicate it in a kind and respectful manner. Also, remember to not say anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t say to someone face to face. As a new generation, we have the power to stop hate culture on the Internet, and we can achieve this by not spreading negative comments ourselves.