People can be mean sometimes- especially women. Women have been living with false stereotypes about being the "mean girl" since before elementary school. Whether it be from movies, television shows, or real-life experiences, many women feel that being the mean girl is how they survive through their years of schooling. When women constantly hear comments like, "being nice gets you nowhere", or, "nice guys finish last", it leaves an imprint in their heads that there is no reason to be nice because you get nothing out of it. But that statement is completely false. Being nice gets you EVERYWHERE!

There are many forms of bullying that the "mean girl" feels she needs to hold onto to protect her reputation. In today's society, cyberbullying is one of the many forms of bullying among women ages 10-23. Cyberbullying has become problematic over the past few decades. The effects of cyberbullying on the victims include self-harm, depression, and even suicide. Some girls are genuinely mean, and some just do it to be followers. Yet, whatever the case may be, people that bully other's have no idea what it does to the victim. It may make the mean girl feel good, but how good will she really feel when the victim harms themselves because of the issue? This is why women have to be careful what they say, ESPECIALLY online. Bullying someone verbally is just as wrong, yet when the bullying is on the internet for everyone to see, it creates a lot more harmful consequences. Posting comments on the internet bullying someone lasts forever. Even if one deletes the posts, the internet has hold of this information for eternity.

Unfortunately, you can't expect everyone to be nice all the time. But what you can do is not let the mean people and mean comments ever get to you. So why shouldn't you bully others? Listed below are three reasons why it is absolutely WRONG to bully other's and the consequences that it will do to you.

1. People won't like you

That's that. It's the simple truth. People will not like you if you are mean. When you are mean and a bully to the people around you, you are not looked at as a good person, and who wants to be looked at in a negative light? No one will want to hang out with you, and no one will want to be friends with the mean girl. When you're mean, rumors can start about you, and NOT any good ones!

2. Being mean hurts you in the long run

You see on television shows and movies that the mean girls are almost always also the most popular girls in school. This is NOT okay! When young teens see that the most popular people in their favorite shows are popular because they are mean, it allows them to think that if they are mean, they will be popular too. Yet, that is completely FALSE! What happens when you are married with kids and still looked at as the mean girl? It may be empowering for you to be mean to others when you are young, but what happens when you have a job and a life and people that knew you from high school still look at you as the mean girl? You will feel nothing but embarrassment and shame for what you have done in the past. It can ruin your reputation in the long run. You need to remember that you are an adult much longer than you are a kid, so don't do anything that will jeopardize your future. (Although most people still do, not realizing how it will impact their lives as adults.)

3. Being mean can cost you friendships and relationships

No one would ever stop being friends with someone because they are too nice, yet I know of many situations where people stopped being friends with someone else because they were to mean and bullied them constantly. Bottom line is- IT'S NOT OKAY! It can cost you friendships and also relationships. Nothing good comes out of being mean, especially if it means losing people who are close to you. If you are losing friends because you are being mean, then you probably aren't doing the right thing and should realize what you are doing wrong and change it!

That being said- JUST BE NICE! There are far more advantages you get out of being nice than being mean. So be the bigger person, brush things off your shoulder and never say something mean to someone that you will regret. The way you act towards other people is a reflection of yourself and shows what type of person you are. So be nice, because it's the right thing to do!