Student Article
The Rise of "Virtue Bullies": How Self-Righteous Shaming Conquered the Internet
Virtue (noun): A good quality, like honesty or kindness.
Bullying (noun): The act of being mean to someone repeatedly.
Memories (noun): Things you remember from the past.
Have you ever seen people being mean online?
What is virtue bullying?
Many people say they want to do the right thing, but sometimes they act in mean ways while pretending to be good. This is called “virtue bullying” and often happens online. People post messages that seem kind, but then try to make others feel bad for not agreeing.
How our memories can fool us
Our brains can trick us into thinking we are doing the right thing, even when we’re not. Sometimes we change our memories without knowing it. We might remember things in a way that makes us feel better about ourselves. People also feel good about themselves by putting others down. This can lead to bullying while still believing we are right. When disagreements feel personal We all want to feel like we are good people. When someone disagrees with us, it can feel like they are attacking who we are. We might fight back in a strong way, even if it’s not fair. What we think is “right” or “fair” is based on our past and what we’ve been taught. This means different people may think different things are right or wrong.
When being right hurts us
It’s good to try to be a kind and moral person. But we have to be careful. Sometimes we act badly but tell ourselves it’s okay because we think the other person is wrong. This helps us avoid feeling bad about what we did. But it also lets the bullying keep going.
The real test of goodness
It’s always important ask ourselves, "Are we being kind? Are we treating people the way we want to be treated?" That’s the real test of being a good person.
© Dean Burnett / Our Media
Virtue (noun): A good quality, like honesty or kindness.
Bullying (noun): The act of being mean to someone repeatedly.
Memories (noun): Things you remember from the past.