Okay, I've wanted to address this for a while, but back when I started using Twitter, I always looked down on people who said they were ex-ARMYs that left because of the fandom, but after being on Twitter for long enough, I think I understand why some people do this.+ https://twitter.com/modooborahae/status/1248797574066253829

Just a lil disclaimer, I'm not saying leaving because of the fandom is right, but I now understand the reasoning of why some people do. Me understanding =/= me condoning. Okay, now I'll explain.+

So let's say that you say something that is misinterpreted by other ARMYs as problematic and you get hounded for it in your mentions and in your DMs. You have hundreds of people dragging you and calling you names and sending threats.+

After everything blows over, you clarify and apologize for what you said as well as promise to try and do better. But no one believes your apology and they call it insincere, they try and nitpick it, and tell you that you're faking it.+

Every time you tweet, those people will be in your mentions berating you for every tweet you post and bringing up the mistake you already apologized for. Sometimes, the accusations from them get so bad that you almost start to believe them yourself.+

Now every time you watch BTS, you feel guilty because those people's words have gotten into your head, and you start to wonder if you even deserve to enjoy BTS anymore. Then you become afraid to tweet about them in fear that someone will start another issue with you.+

So the enjoyment you got from tweeting about them is gone, the enjoyment you got from watching them is gone, and on top of that, your mental health is at a low point because of all the harrassment. So what do you do? You call it quits. You deactivate, and leave for good.+

I've seen a lot of accounts attacked for things they've apologized for. And seeing all these people suffer from so much, it made me realize, the people who left the fandom are not all horrible people. Sometimes, they were just people with a misunderstood opinion.+

Don't get me wrong, some people who left the fandom were nasty and problematic, but others probably had an opinion against the norm that they were dragged for, or maybe it was a joke that accidentally crossed the line. But instead of correcting them, they were bullied.+

I think that's a downside of Twitter. Sometimes, it's so easy to lose yourself and react negatively to people and call them names because, at the end of the day, you don't see their reaction when they read your tweets, so you feel less guilty.+

But we have to remember that these accounts are still people and the way you respond to someone can really damage them. A lot of people like to act like they aren't affected by hate, but everyone is. Even I'm affected by hate. I get very upset at hate comments. That's NORMAL.+

This is why you never see me harassing someone in their mentions for anything. EVER. This is also why I've been super adamant since the beginning of this year about reducing bullying online and also about forgiveness. Seeing people hurt just really is saddening to me now.+

Basically, if someone says something wrong, try and correct it and respectfully point out what they said that was offensive. Just don't be a jackass about it. There's so many ways to educate others without being a jerk. It's not hard.+

Anyway sorry for the tired rambling, I've been meaning to say this for a while but didn't know how.