Recently, a viral video was released targeting not just me, but my entire family. The creator—chasing clicks, profit, and notoriety—resurrected twenty-year-old rumors and outright falsehoods, reigniting a wave of harassment designed to tear us apart. It wasn’t simply words on a screen; it was the ignition of real, dangerous consequences.

The Cost of Viral Hate

Just days after the video began spreading, I was out on a photography shoot—yes, I am a professional photographer and artist, not only a writer—casually discussing the day’s conditions with another photographer. It was a blue-sky day, beautiful yet familiar, a condition often yielding similar-looking photographs. Nearby, some teenagers watched us, giving odd glances before quietly slipping away. At the time, I dismissed their behavior as curious, maybe mildly intrusive. But looking back, it was the first sign of trouble.

A Chilling Reality Check

The next day, I returned to the same location for another shoot. Fortunately, I was still in my vehicle, preparing my gear, when a large vehicle abruptly pulled into the lot nearby. A group of teens and young adults emerged, visibly agitated, clearly on a mission. Some of them carried baseball bats; their leader had a large hunting knife tucked into his waistband, openly displayed.

Their voices carried across the space, aggressive and unmistakably angry: “I told you he wouldn’t be here. He never takes pictures when the sky’s blue.”

I sat frozen, my heart pounding, realization dawning with sickening clarity. These weren’t curious individuals seeking conversation. These were people inflamed by lies and misinformation, spurred to real-world action by hateful rhetoric online. Their intentions weren’t to question or confront—they intended harm.

The Unbearable Thought

The most terrifying realization was yet to come. The day before, I hadn’t been alone. My wife and daughter had been there with me. What if the timing had been different? What if this aggressive, armed group had encountered all of us?

What had they intended to do?

This wasn’t just an attack on my reputation or my career. This was a direct, visceral threat to my family’s safety and our lives.

The Real-World Consequences of Online Smears

Online harassment campaigns often masquerade as harmless gossip or entertainment, dismissively labeled as “drama” or “internet feuds.” But when someone chooses to weaponize misinformation, when someone decides that clicks and notoriety are worth endangering real people, there is nothing trivial about it.

In a single viral moment, years of hateful rumors escalated from a digital smear campaign into potential violence. The people targeted by such attacks are not abstract entities—they are real individuals, with families, lives, and vulnerabilities.

Taking Back the Narrative

I share this experience not to incite pity but to bring attention to the tangible, devastating impact of unchecked online harassment. Words hold power, and false narratives can become deadly.

We must recognize this reality. Platforms, communities, creators, and audiences all bear responsibility. When misinformation and hate speech proliferate, when real-world violence is incited, silence and complacency become complicity.

A Call for Action and Accountability

If we want a safer, kinder world—online and offline—we must confront these realities openly and courageously. I call upon readers, fellow authors, creators, and communities to:

• Speak out against misinformation.
• Reject hate-fueled content that endangers real people.
• Support truth and accountability.

Our safety and our lives depend on it.

Stand With Truth, Reject the Hate

My family and I have weathered countless attacks online, but now it’s personal, visceral, and impossible to ignore. We cannot allow the spread of misinformation to endanger lives. We cannot let hate-driven campaigns go unchallenged.

Stand with us. Reject the false narratives. Support those who choose truth over sensationalism.

Because behind every screen is a human being, whose safety and dignity deserve respect and protection.

—William Robert Stanek