Anonymity Doesn’t Excuse Cruelty

I think some people need to remember that just because a website allows you to post anonymously does not mean everything you choose to say anonymously is okay or justified.

I went through recruitment genuinely hoping to find community and sisterhood. Instead, some of my experiences left me feeling like kindness was conditional or performative, and after everything I experienced throughout this process and over the past year, I think it is completely reasonable for me to say that Greek life is simply not for me.

That does not make me jealous or bitter. Being hurt by people who have bullied you, talked about you online, or treated you poorly does not mean you are jealous of them. I have other organizations, friendships, interests, and communities in my life that I genuinely care about. I would much rather put my energy into those spaces than continue trying to prove that I belong somewhere that clearly was not the right fit for me.

What I do think is incredibly hurtful is telling someone that they “have no friends” or making personal comments about their life when you do not actually know them. You have no idea what another person is dealing with or what their life looks like outside of what you see online. Something being anonymous does not suddenly make cruelty harmless.

I am also not saying that Greek life is inherently bad or that everyone involved in it is a bad person. Clearly, plenty of people have found genuine friendships and positive experiences through it. That simply was not my experience, and I am allowed to acknowledge that without being labeled jealous or bitter.

There is a difference between criticizing someone and deliberately trying to humiliate them. If you would never say something to a person’s face with your own name attached to it, maybe think about why you feel comfortable saying it anonymously.

You do not have to like me. You do not have to understand me. But being behind an anonymous username does not make bullying right.
ok end of ted talk : )