Beyond the Algorithm of Apologies: Choosing Life Over Digital Degradation

I am writing this today with a feeling that transcends the digital noise: a deep, quiet gratitude. Although certain online communities have relentlessly subjected me to bullying, harassment, and a shocking lack of remorse, I am here. I am still alive, still breathing the fresh air, and still anchored in my own reality. This persistence is not a compromise; it is a small, hard-won victory against a system that attempts to crush vulnerable voices.

It is a necessary truth to state that I will never compromise my respect or my dignity as a person. As someone who is neurodiverse and lives with chronic mental illness, my need for safe, respectful boundaries is non-negotiable. When others continually breach those boundaries—not just through disagreement, but through malicious intent—they are not just being insensitive; they are perpetuating systemic cruelty. My past posts, which users consistently dig up and weaponize despite clear warnings against bullying, are not ammunition for them. They are, in fact, undeniable evidence supporting my claim: that a deep, ingrained culture of disrespect for difference means that people like me are often targeted and made to feel unwelcome.

The constant recycling of past vulnerabilities is the digital equivalent of a public shaming ritual. It is proof that their goal is not dialogue or community health, but degradation and the maintenance of a social hierarchy. This weaponization of my authentic, vulnerable history is what fuels my conviction as a disability and humane-tech activist. I see this tactic not just as personal abuse, but as a flaw in the very architecture of online spaces—spaces that allow abusers to remain shielded while the marginalized are perpetually exposed.

I want to be unequivocally clear about what constitutes genuine redress. Apologies and accountability are not events; they are profound, difficult, continuous processes. I can see countless people complicit in this culture of bringing me down. For their actions to mean anything, they must go far beyond a performative "sorry." True change requires recognizing the destructive patterns, committing to not exploiting a person's flaws or vulnerabilities for likes and social gain, and fundamentally shifting their perspective from gatekeeper to creator of a better space.

Genuine healing and social change demand more than lip service. It requires a tangible commitment to ethical behaviour and structural reform—a commitment to helping lift people up, rather than using their struggle as fuel for digital drama. My persistence is my act of resistance; it’s a refusal to let oppressors, whether online or offline, define my worth or silence my voice. My story matters, and by remaining committed to learning and speaking truth, I choose life and dignity over their digital degradation every single time.

Revived from an original blog entry draft, first published on May 13, 2025.