Don’t ever shy away from pointing out good qualities of your friends!
Maya Angelou once said:
“people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
When somebody says a teenager has been posting comments on the internet regarding his classmates, the first thing that comes to our mind is cyberbullying and all the serious and negative consequences it can cause. However, even in this digital world, there are stories that epitomize how people can still be “cool” on social media.
One of these stories is about Konner Suave, a student from East Valley High School (Washington), who created an anonymous Instagram account @TheBenevolentOne3 and started sharing kind thoughts about his fellow students.
The account, which has been active for 43 weeks, has over 650 posts. Each is about a different student from the high school’s different class levels, and every one features the student’s name, photo and a brief description recognizing what makes that person special. At the end of his graduation speech Konner finally revealed that he was the identity behind the famous Instagram account, and received a standing ovation, bringing everyone close to tears. This was his way to combat bullying and make each and every one of his classmates to feel good about themselves.
Immediately after one of the girls he wrote about, read the post about her, she left the following comment:
It’s amazing, you have just brightened my day. You did something so great for all of us. Love you,
mysterious person!
Others featured in Suave’s posts surely felt pretty much the same.
Here are some examples of his posts, where he described other students:
You’ve always been one of the most intelligent underclassmen I have come to be around and meet! Your brain works miraculously in strange, yet amazing ways as you solve problems and figure out how to get through situations. You’re such an inspirational young man with many aspirations and goals, don’t let them fade away. PURSUE THEM. Not only for yourself but because your dreams will inspire other dreams and they will teach others to do the same!
Okay, hands down. You have the COOLEST name out our school. It is very powerful and courageous, you hold such a high authority it seems with such a name as Shadow Warrior! I would like to acknowledge your consistency in remaining the young man you are and are becoming. As times change it is hard not to totally switch what we believe in and turn into someone we don’t recognize, but you have remained perfectly balanced in this change throughout high school. It is a blessing you have been a part of our school these years, good luck and the BEST of wishes to you in your future
Konner explained his actions in one of the posts. It’s quite interesting to read:
There is one quote in particular from Maya Angelou that reads: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
I find this quote so inspiring because over the past year I saw a change occur in our high school – a positive one. It seemed as though we were more united than we had ever been in the past.
During the summer, I made the decision to go in and try to make everyone here feel appreciated and recognized for simply being the amazing people they are. It is easy for people to be cruel over social media, so I decided to make an anonymous account on Instagram that would counteract the negativity seen today by posting a picture of each student and a paragraph of what makes them GREAT and how other people should see that too.
What this young man did was truly amazing, inspiring and yet very unusual. In the fast-paced world we live in today, we are seldom interested in doing something good for others. I hope that Suave’s story will be just the beginning of sharing kind words and positive thoughts rather than insulting messages and gossips on the internet.
Cyberbullying is being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material using a cell phone or the internet. In many countries worldwide it is a crime punishable by law. Therefore, instead of wasting our time on negative comments, gossips and rude remarks, let us help and inspire people to be the best possible versions of themselves.
Start from yourself and be the change you want to see in others!
[divider]
18 year old Konner Suave, has anonymously been updating @TheBenevolentOne3 for 43 weeks,with photos of students in the classes of 2014-2017 at East Valley High School in Washington with a caption about their good qualities.