We still live in a society where everyone makes light of cyberbullying and the recent “roast me” craze proves how narrow-minded people are on the subject; this is not cool.
Recently, the Internet has been blowing up with users posting selfies on social media sites with signs that read “roast me.”
If you aren’t familiar with what it means to roast someone, you should probably leave the rock you’ve been living under and watch some comedy central.
According to Urban Dictionary, roasting is a term used to humorously mock or humiliate someone with a well-timed joke, diss or comeback.
After users on reddit began to post these selfies, the Internet did what it does best and spread the “humorous” results like wild fire.
Why the sarcastic quotes when referring to humor? Well, this is just another way that people of the internet just desensitize not only cyberbullying, but bullying in general.
Coming from someone who has been on both ends of the spectrum of bullying, it’s a serious issue that people still don’t take seriously.
Who’s to say that these roasts need to stop on the Internet?
Once these participants are done roasting victim after victim due to their own personal insecurities, there is no reason as to why they should stop there.
Internet trends such as these only pose a bigger threat to the future.
Sure, words can never hurt you (physically), but do the participants of these “roasts” really know what they’re in for?
Many of the insults range from sexism, racism and just flat out making fun of someone natural features.
After reading all the harsh insults the internet has to offer to these random strangers, I’m borderline worried about society natural perception toward people.
Judging someone based on their appearance is derived from a primitive instinct used to determine the safety of your surroundings; this is exactly what this is, primitive.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally aware that these types of viral trends are not even meant to be taken seriously and these people who volunteer to be roasted have a mind of their own.
However, it’s the aftermath that worries me.
Call me an extremist, but does this not condone bullying of all types outside of the walls of the internet?