STORIES

We fought about it which went on for days, eventually leading my arguments to things that I didn't even feel; I just wanted to say something harsh to have a one-up on the person I was arguing with. My public comments also invited other people with differing opinions to comment on what I had said, which lead to me arguing with multiple people at one time. It completely consumed my mental health as I would think about this negative interaction even when I wasn't on the app or even on my phone. I felt anxiety about what the other person would say next. I felt angry thinking ‘How could another person see the world this way that's so tone deaf and victimising to themselves and privileged’. This interaction was maybe a year ago and I still think about it to this day. I think about what I should've said instead of what I actually said, not only about the intentionally hurtful words I said but also how I could make my arguments better. In the short term, it completely consumed me in a very negative way, especially because I am not a confrontational person at all, in fact, it really stresses me out. It’s easy for me to be confrontational online as I am behind a screen, but I failed to realise the consequences are the same. In the long term, which I would say is the present, I have learned to not feed into that kind of energy and avoid confrontation, especially to people who I don't know and have never/will never have any influence on me.” – Female, 23, NSW ‍ - Sienna