While we have graduated beyond having our heads shoved into lockers and getting our lunch money stolen, it's apparent that this new age of internet bullies work around the clock. But regardless of whether Twitter is your medium of choice, or if you prefer posting memes on Instagram, one thing is for sure: trolls will come flooding in as soon as you garner a following.
This is something that Talia Gargan knows too well. When she uploaded a bikini picture to her Snapchat, she attracted a troll who accused her of "catfishing" - that is, adopting a false persona online.
When Talia Garagn posted a bikini snap to her Snapchat, she received a message from a troll who accused her of "catfishing" the internet writ large. The body-shamer stated that Talia had a "bit of a belly", before going on to say that he was "glad you uploaded this btw, would’ve been annoying meeting wasting time to be catfished."
Naturally, Talia clapped back, and said that she "wasn't made to impress" the troll. She shared the entire interchange on Twitter, where everyone agreed that she looked absolutely flawless.
"Sorry I’m not a size 6. I wasn’t made to impress you or all people, you ain’t nothing special – looks don’t mean sh8t when you’re a nasty pr*ck tryna put others down," she responded. "Now you’ve gone out of your way after I blocked you on Snap to comment on my body yet again, you must have an exciting life. Now p*ss off and carry on taking sh*t selfies of ya self. P.S. wouldn’t (have) met you anyway, ya t*sser."
Talia is not the only woman in recent weeks to have her appearance attacked on social media. Body positivity activist Carmen Smith has endured cruel remarks and comments from strangers after developing lymphedema as a child - a condition which causes her legs, ankles and feet to swell.
But after years of attempting to hide her limbs, Smith has come to grips with her condition, and regularly poses in lingerie to encourage women to show of their "flaws" and be confident in their own skin.
Speaking to Barcroft TV, the Pasadena, California native asserted "Be what you wanna be, [don't be] stuck in this weird box society wants to keep us in."
"Our differences make us beautiful. I always tell my followers on Instagram to embrace their bodies at every step of our journey," she continued.
Carmen was just three when her mother noticed that her extremities were uncharacteristically swollen. "My mum tells me I was about three when she noticed that something was going on. I was complaining a lot that my feet hurt," the 30-year-old revealed. "She took me to the doctor and they diagnosed me with lymphedema, stating that most likely I was born without some of my lymph nodes."
Lymphedema affects up to 10 million people in the United States and as Carmen explains, "Your lymph nodes and your lymphatic system are supposed to be moving fluids through your body". In her case, however, there was a blockage in her legs which explains the chronic "swelling and discomfort" that she started to experience.
Good on people like Talia and Carmen for standing up to the trolls of the internet!