I love social media. I really do. However, we all know that there are some not so shiny and happy things happening there as well. And a couple of weeks ago I got fully hit with a really mean comment.
Here’s what happened. I wrote a couple of new songs and recorded them. One of the songs was “Dance with me“. I really like the song. It’s fun and upbeat and played on my sopranissimo it even looks super fun. So I recorded the song and shared it on my Instagram and Facebook. I honestly thought that other people might enjoy it as well, so I shared it in some Facebook groups.
In one of the German speaking ukulele groups I then got a super nasty comment. It started out with something along the lines of “wow, that’s really brave to share something like that, I’d never do that” went on with “I really don’t think that this is funny at all” and stopped with “you really shouldn’t post this publicly”.
Before I even knew what hit me, the commenter then edited her comment, adding that “it’s nice to write songs for yourself, but really, you should leave posting videos to the pros” and “maybe just record them and send them to family and friends who will actually like them”.
There were actually three revisions of her comment – and it got nastier every time she revised it.
I was sad but also furious and had no idea how to handle it. I strongly believe in my right to post whatever the f*** I want. I also strongly believe that ukulele groups on Facebook and Instagram are for everyone. But I am also a person who, if I have nothing nice to say, I just shut the f*** up.
Hubby was with me when I saw the comments and advised me to just react with the lol emoji and move on. After seeing that, she actually deleted her three time revised, super nasty comment.
I was talking with my online bestie Prudence about it and she actually turned it into a comic:
And Prudence made a very important point. The lady who commented said, more than once, that she would never post something like that. That she also writes songs, but would never be this brave to post them online. So really, her commenting was all about herself. It said nothing about me, or my talent or me being brave. It was about her, not being brave, about her not having the guts to post and about her, probably not wanting to deal with nasty comments such as hers.
But you know what. It still hurt like hell. It was an awful experience and I still don’t know why someone would write something like that. I have no idea where the motivation for comments like these come from (because I never have to urge to put someone down like that). I just really hope that this lady finds it in herself, to share her art, it might make her happy.
xoxo Nikky
Ps: If you love Prudence work as much as I do, you can support her on Patreon.
I started playing about a year ago, found your blog, and appreciate your journey. You’re braver than I!!
Thanks so much Chris. I want to share my honest journey with all its ups and downs – and I always hope that it encourages others to not give up and keep on strumming
Unfortunately, there seem to be several problems nowadays on the internet. People have not learnt how to be careful to type things so that they cannot be misconstrued; people think that being on a computer and the apparent anonymity gives them a right to be vicious or nasty; and people have not learned the thing that I was taught a long while ago – If you’ve can’t say something constructive, don’t say it. I have seen many poor, out-of-tune or poorly-produced videoes on line. I just move on. Plus, if you’re not that well-off, you don’t necessarily have access to decent equipment (it may be that the problem is not that the person can’t sing, but that the intonation of their cheap uke is way-out). Live, and let live. Blessing to you.