The toxic side of the blogging community

   This post has been a long time coming. There's just never the right way to word it. Everyone has their own perceptions on what defines toxicity. Just like people have their good and bad sides, so does the blogging community. On the whole, I adore it because it is full of supportive, engaging and quirky personalities and it is such a pleasure to read all about them.

   Unfortunately however, there is a whole other ugly side to it and I am now going to reveal it to you based on my own experiences.

The competitive mindset

   This way of thinking involves viewing other bloggers as business rivals. People to be competed against for popularity. This is demonstrated through the follow/unfollow game, which involves people following other bloggers and unfollowing as soon as they are followed back. Some people don't keep track of who has unfollowed them, which results in the former having more followers.

   I have also seen people copying blog posts written by others and taking credit for it - which is not only morally wrong but against the law - and demanding support but never giving it. "Are we supporting each other?" No! Because, when I commented on your content, I made it in depth and thoughtful, whereas - in return - I was lucky to receive a vague, "cool post". 

   What people forget is that not everyone is here to make a living from their blog. Some people just want to embrace and share their creativity with the world. Plus, being equally as supportive does not mean that you are missing out so there's absolutely no reason to try and out-do one another!

Can't be a 'Negative Nancy'!

   We all have our down days, granted. But I could not help but notice a disturbing correlation with my mood and follow count.

   When I tweet about achieving something good, I usually get around 100 likes if not more. The wonderful support and congratulatory messages come flooding in. On the other hand, when I have tweeted about feeling gloomy... I noticed on multiple occasions that my follow count immediately dropped.

   Just so I am clear, I never tweet anything obviously capable of triggering anyone. I am talking about very tame, "I've had a bad day and I'm really annoyed with people right now," kind of tweets. It's unfortunate that so many people preach about supporting those with bad mental health and to always be there for your friends, yet those same people don't want to know you the moment you show that your life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. 

Blogger drama and pack mentality

   Where do I even start with this gem? If you've been a part of the blogging community for a good while, then you will be no stranger to drama. If you are, I commend you immensely; it means you have been following the right people.

   Drama is sparked in a multitude of ways. Sometimes, someone says something bang out of order and the hostile response is inevitable. I find that, the majority of the time, something someone says is taken out of context and then everyone hops on the bandwagon of turning on them before asking questions later.

   For example, a blogger tweeted that she was not happy with her appearance for a particular reason and vowed to make a lifestyle change. In turn, she was immediately slated by a group of bloggers looking similar to her, making that tweet all about them and claiming that she's anti-this and anti-that. It's like people love to be offended.

   Some are like vultures. They wait for an individual to mess up and pounce on that person all at once. It's not enough that two people are having a disagreement. Everyone else has to get involved and subtweet even though they only know half of the story. Why? It's not enough that one person has a problem with something someone else has said. That same person, without first taking it to direct messages, has to publicly 'call out' that person and navigate their followers to do the same.

   It makes me sick to the stomach whenever I see it. 

Brands certainly don't help...

   The core of these issues don't always lie within the blogging community itself. You've got to ask yourself: why do these rivals form in the first place? Some brands pit us against each other.

   They do this every time they select bloggers with colossal followings for paid opportunities even though they engage so little and the majority of their followers are bought. What message is this sending out? More followers equals more importance, thus encouraging more influencers to resort to purchasing fake followers, using bots and getting vehemently competitive with their peers in the industry. 

   One blogger even told of her ordeal at attending an event and how she was asked to move out of the photo because she did not look a certain way - fit the 'blogger aesthetic', if you will. It was heartbreaking to read about.      

I would love to know your thoughts on the 'toxic' side of the blogging community.

Please let me know in the comments below!