Ashley Vanpevenage: Where is She Now?

On the Internet, a picture is worth a thousand [mean] words. Find out what life is like for Ashley after her picture got tossed around by cyber bullies.

1) Are you currently active on Social Media? If yes, how has your online activity changed since the incident that changed your life?
I am currently active on social media although not nearly as much as I was before my incident happened. I never tweet anymore nor do I post pictures on Instagram. The social media account that I am most active on is snapchat which is mainly because all of my close family and friends can see me on this. The reason why I do not post any photos on Instagram is because I am still fighting acne and I do not feel comfortable enough to post pictures on Instagram yet.

2) What type of support did you seek in the aftermath of what happened to you?
The type of support I sought in the aftermath of what happened to me was pretty awesome. About 90% being positive and 10% being negative. I received hundreds of messages saying how big of an inspiration people see me as and how much they look up to me for speaking out.

3) If you had the chance to re-do the tweet/post that changed your life, what, if anything, would you do differently?
If I had the chance to delete the post, I don't think I would just because the picture reminded me that despite the negative comments, I got so much positive feedback and support from people around the world. It was incredible to know I was so loved, and thought of as beautiful.

4) What, if any, ramifications from your incident are you still experiencing today?
I'm still dealing with the same picture on occasion because it's still going around and often pops up on my Twitter feed.

5) Have you had any other life-changing incidents on the Internet since the one we profiled?
Since the picture was posted I have not had another big incident happen on the Internet and I have tried to refrain from posting on social media.

6) What advice would you give to other people on managing social media?
The advice I would give to other people managing social media is to be confident and 100% positive before you post anything on social media because it doesn't go away. Don't post anything off the emotions you're feeling or the hatred you're having towards someone because one day you could end up regretting it.

7) What do you feel are positive aspects of the Internet (if any)?
The positive aspects of the Internet are that it proves that there are still considerate people out there, not everyone is evil and so many people come together to support one another.