So, I’ve been leaving comments on this blog that is posted by a young author, Nic Sheff,. He has written an autobiography regarding his addiction to drugs, mainly Meth. His book was riveting, moving, difficult to read sometimes but impossible to put down. So, I was really glad to see that he decided to start a post-book blog. He talks about the difficulties he’s having with a sober life and his hopes and his feeling about just about everything. His essays are really quite an insight into his sober life. I find them really well written and I look forward to them. He posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He’s been doing it faithfully for a month now.
I usually leave a comment, or a question or some (51 year old) advice. I think he reads most of the comments left and sometime he leaves comments back. It’s really a kind of cool way to communicate with (1) the author of a book and (2) a really interesting kid who lives in California who most people would never have had the chance to talk to.
So, each of his blogs receive lots and lots of different comments from a wide variety of people. The comments sometimes are just as interesting and as enlightening as Nic’s posts. People from all over the world have left their opinions, advice, and support for Nic. This is what this new fangled thing called the internet is all about!
However, in the past couple of weeks, more and more comments have been left on Nic’s blog that really do not have anything at all to do with his essays. There have been people (I think they might be young kids, but someone replied recently that some of them are in their 20’s and 30’s) who post comments under the cloak of “anonymous” or “private profile” and by comments, I mean they write silly poems about each other, they have huge side conversations about things that have nothing to do with Nic, like the spelling of words, they make fun of other commenters, even to go so far as to checking out other’s profile and blogs and making derogatory remarks about them. Some of these people have been down right hostile. Some have suggested the Nic should go smoke some dope or ‘just overdose already’.
So, I guess my question is this: Is this a normal kind of thing that people in their teens, 20’s, 30’s or even older do on blogs? Am I wrong for finding these comments juvenile and a waste of time? One commenter said to me personally (via a comment on the blog, of course) that they were all just having fun and I should lighten up. I’m really confused and curious about this….
I reiterate, here’s a kid who was a Meth addict who is blogging about his recovery and daily ups and downs and people think that’s it’s ok to ‘play’ on his blog just for fun?
I don’t get it?
I’m 51 and I didn’t grow up around computers or any of this technology. I love it now. I think it’s great how the world is open for all to explore.
But this whole experience with Nic’s blog/comments has left me really wondering.
I let myself get frustrated with a couple of these (young?) commenters and I left a few comments myself in response to them. I felt really bad afterward. So I left my email address so that if anyone wanted to respond to me directly they could…instead of wasting everyone’s time discussing something other than Nic’s blog.
Well, I haven’t heard from anyone. So, I guess it was the ‘stage’ quality of the comment section of the blog that attracts these people. And I guess it’s also the fact that they are ‘invisible’ that gives them courage. They want everyone to know how funny and smart they are but of course no one knows who they are. I guess. I just don’t get it though.
Can anyone explain it to me? Why people would leave comments like this on this type of forum? For what purpose? Or do you think that it really is just a bunch of young preteens who are home along with nothing to do?
Anyone?
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7 comments:
About Nic's blog and the comments that have nothing to do with his blog, I feel like they are graffiti on his art. I noticed that he does not comment any more since that all started. I wonder if he even reads our comments.
God/religion, I'll get to that later.
i know what you mean. it really started aggravating me and i was trying to figure out why people were usiing his blog as an infantile playgrond.
No one really answered me. and i figure it's a no win battle to argue or even try and discuss with people who are hell bent on causing some drama.
anyway. i hope nic chooses to comment again.
I love his insights and responses.
God and Religion:
I read a lot and have a thirst for knowledge about a lot of things. I tried reading the bible, even got something like the NIV Study Bible or something like that years ago. It just didn't make sense to me.
For several years I worked in a hospital that had a psych unit. I worked in the medical records department at that time but was on a team that responded when a patient was a danger to himself and others, usually someone having a psychotic break. Many of them were hyper-religious and sounded just like that stuff I read in the bible, weird huh? I've also read a lot of autobiographical books written by people who have left different religions, i.e. Mormon, FDLS, Amish, all of which are pretty cultish. I've noticed that a lot of churches are that way, cultish and/or very political and some people seem to use their religion to do wrong. Catholic priests come to mind there.
I have talked to people of many different religions just to get their POV and recently met some people who came over here from Iran. I was surprised that they were allowed to come over here with everything going on in the Middle East. They were of the Baha'i faith. I had to look it up and read more on it. It was interesting, I like their values but still don't believe in "God."
I just try to live and let live, ya know.
I'm only fifteen but, having read Tweak, Nic Sheff has changed my life in a way that I don't think anyone else ever will. I think about his book and him every single day, and I feel almost like his personal struggles are my own (although I can't say I've ever had to deal with drug abuse). I completely agree with you; anyone who's trying to belittle him or his continuing project towards triumph over himself has enough problems of their own. I don't think they need to be tossing them around on a blog that is, obviously, a major part of a former-addict's recovery.
thanks for actually speaking out against something like this.
:)
after reading the comment of the above 15 year old, i feel i need to apologize to teenagers, in general.
i always seem to assume that all the anonymous comments that are 'off subject', 'mean', 'rude', or just plain 'stupid' come from teens.
i realize that is just not the case.
sorry. it's never a good idea to generalize. and....
even at 51, i am still learning, growing and
changing.
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