Do not be fooled; sadly, the “mean girl” still exists. While the 2004 comedy dramatizes mean girls, cliques, and the pressure to be “popular,” they were not too far off. No, mean girls don’t all wear pink on Fridays or perform a sexy version of “Jingle Bell Rock” for their high school talent show. However, these girls like to do their deeds behind the scenes by gossiping, cyberbullying, mocking, or excluding others. No matter how mean girls execute their so-called “meanness,” it’s incredibly impactful for the person or people targeted.

Kids are mean, but girls take it to another level. Every female reading this can think back to a time when they experienced a singular or group of mean girls. They are the perfect example of a bully, tearing someone else down to make themselves feel better. The sad thing is that some girls become numb to this and forget that what they’re doing has implications for others.

It’s not cute or cool to be a bitch. I’m sorry to be blunt, but it’s the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. It’s very telling of the relationship you have with yourself. It shows you have low self-confidence and must boost yourself by bringing others down. That will always be different from the cool, kind, or right thing to do. Ever.

We all start “adulting” at some point or another. As the sunset of your youth wanes, it becomes more apparent how weak and pathetic it is to bully others. In time you may or may not learn more about the bully and why they are the way they are. However, it’s never an excuse to be unkind or bully others. We can appreciate others’ backgrounds and get them the help they deserve. That’s how healthy people deal with low self-esteem; build yourself up instead of tearing others down. I promise you will be much more respected and liked in the long run. I’ll end with a quote by the great Maya Angelou.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, what you did, but never forget how you made them feel.”