Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page, written for young people by young people. If you want to write articles for Voices, email alex.cutler@dorsetecho.co.uk

Victim, a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, other event or action. We are all victims of a modern society governed by the media and other people’s opinions. How can we fight it? With kindness!

Words are weapons when used in the wrong way and that’s heart-breaking. Heart-breaking enough that they can push someone over the edge. Steal someone’s youth from them because they ‘couldn’t take it anymore.’ These are real issues that real people are going through and we need to do more to prevent it.

The ‘odd one out’ documentary focusing on the life of Little Mix star Jesy Nelson is a perfect example of how words can ruin someone’s life. Not only does she focus on her own experience of online bullying but also other young people’s stories. Some of who are here to tell them, or others that sadly aren’t as the abuse pushed them too far. I believe this documentary should be compulsory for every student to watch so that they can see the true impact of bullying and how unkind words are hurtful.

An issue that featured heavily in this documentary and needs to be dealt with is ‘fat shaming.’ Media personality Katie Hopkins, a grown adult was just one of the culprits of the online abuse targeted at Jesy Nelson. In 2013 she took to twitter to write ‘Packet mix have still got a chubber in their ranks. Less Little Mix. More Pick n Mix.’ Now that the tweet has resurfaced and Jesy’s now boyfriend hit back at Hopkins, all she had to say for herself was ‘No, my love. You are right. This is twitter. And you were just sharing your opinion to which you were perfectly entitled. Unlike others, I accept that if you put yourself out there, not all the comments you receive will be positive.’ How is society supposed to move forward if people like Hopkins are still patronising and bullying vulnerable people who have grown up in an era in which we are led to believe that we should have to live up to the standards set by social media?

Recently, American comedian Bill Maher has called for ‘fat shaming’ to make a comeback. What warped version of reality is he living in if he believes that this statement is even the slightest bit ‘okay!’ However, actor and TV personality James Corden hit back. One point he made was that in a study that examined 110 children over the course of a few years, it was found that those who were made fun of for their size gained more weight than the others who weren’t. Having the mentality that criticizing people for their insecurities is ludicrous. Every single person is beautiful, but sometimes those who use their words as weapons blind them from seeing this and sadly this is the cruel world that we live in.

By Hollie Carr