Hi, I’m Aurora Lincoln and I'm the new advisor for the Advice Column. I will do my best to try and answer questions about any problems you have been going through. I'll also reference a song that might connect to what you're going through so you don't feel so alone.
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Dear Aurora:
     How can I deal with bullying?
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Dear friend:
     I have dealt with bullying since the third grade and honestly it’s hard. You feel like not doing anything because anything that you do seems wrong and bullies make sure you feel horrible and tend to make bad decisions to boost their self-esteem.
​     At a young age kids don’t know why other people bully them. They just think it’s their fault and they keep messing up in everything they do. They will soon realize that there’s nothing wrong with them; the problem is with the bully themselves. With bullying it’s horrible that the victims tend to believe that bad things the bully says, and that leads them to make self-harming choices that really won’t help them.
     If you have been bullied and you do make some harmful choices, try to get some help so you don't start to give up yourself. Negativity can come with bullying, but I suggest you tell a friend or a family member and try to resolve it there. If it keeps getting worse, tell the principal or teacher and make the issue known so that it can be resolved. That might be hard these days; you don’t want to be called a snitch. But it’s still something you should do. You might feel alone and think no one wants to be your friend and have negative thoughts, but one thing that can really help is to find someone who can listen.
     And for all the people who see bullying around them, don’t be afraid to speak up when something is happening. This goes for “see something, say something.” Don’t be a bystander. Even if it’s not your problem or you don’t know the person, a word like “STOP” can make a difference.

Song: “Who you are” by Jessie J

Dear Aurora:
     How do I deal with hate comments?

Dear friend:
     The use of social media can be good or bad, depending on how you use it. In some cases people use it for the worst. Facebook, twitter, instagram etc.--we all have friends or people who like, share, or comment on our social media. But they’re times where it’s that one person or multiple people who want to leave unnecessary comments such as “fat,” “ugly,” and other words that don’t need to be repeated. You see it, you stare at it, wondering what you did wrong or if those things are really true. You start thinking and thinking about yourself, then you start overthinking to the point that you analyze something that wasn’t even there in the first place.
      Hate comments are the worst to get when it comes to social media. You can delete them, but how are you going to stop them? You can always block the person or unfriend them, or you can put your page on private.
     On the other hand, having hate comments makes you kind of famous if you ask me, because it shows that people are hating on something you have that they don’t. There’s a saying “my name must taste sweet because it’s always in your mouth." You can try being like tell me more, comment more, because the more attention you're giving me, the more I'm on your mind.
     So wipe your tears, fix your makeup, and pose for those haters because you got a couple of fans who always think about you.

Song: “Unstoppable” by Sia