How Caitlyn Jenner's Story Restored My Faith in the Internet

When the Vanity Fair cover was released, I was prepared for the worst. I got the opposite

When Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover hit the Internet, I was prepared for two things. First, that Caitlyn's introduction to the world would spread faster than anything I had seen in years. And two, that the Internet would react in a way that would break my heart.

I was right about the first thing. And for the most part, I was wrong about the second. Surprisingly, refreshingly wrong.

I'm on the Internet all day, five days a week. I try to take a break on the weekends and go outdoors lest I start hissing at sunlight. So I know how brutal the Internet can be, and specifically, how brutal Internet comment sections can be. People get all riled up over everything. They can get into fights over heartwarming, fluff stories like a panda bear cuddling with a baby monkey. Trust me, someone will find something to get upset about. It's the way of the World Wide Web. We have all this information at our fingertips, but it comes with a price. And I'm not just talking about your monthly Internet provider fee.

So when Caitlyn Jenner finally introduced herself to the world, I braced myself for an onslaught of terrible things. I prepared to be angry at the hateful comments from the masses. I think I even held onto my desk when Caitlyn started going viral. I physically braced myself.

(With the release of her Vanity Fair cover, Caitlyn has chosen to publicly identify as a woman and E! News will refer to her using female pronouns. In stories published prior to this date, Caitlyn was referred to as Bruce and male pronouns were used.)

And then something incredible happened. And while I am so honored to say I was able to witness Caitlyn declaring herself "free," I am even more honored to say I witnessed the overwhelming support that poured from every corner of the Internet. People tweeted back at Caitlyn with messages of encouragement and congratulations, and they thanked her for being so brave. Our comment section on Facebook was filled with positive remarks and applause emojis. Now, you might not think something as small as selecting a certain emoticon or clicking the "like" button under a story is a big deal, but it was. It was a sign of support for Caitlyn. I didn't think the Internet had it in itself. 

But I was so mistaken and I've never been so happy to be proven wrong.

Of course there were negative comments; they are always there. But for every ignorant remark there were at least four people jumping in to defend Caitlyn and to defend the powerful message her journey carried. It was like for one brief moment, the Internet came together behind Caitlyn because they knew how important her story was and will be. And when you put aside the glamorous cover, media attention and the celebrity aspect, Caitlyn is just a human being and she has every right to live the life she wants. And if her magazine cover or tweets about being happy to live her true self helps at least one person going through a similar situation, shouldn't we all rally behind that?

The Internet did believe in that and for the first time in a long time, it made me believe in the Internet. Maybe it wasn't just a machine constantly churning and spewing hate and ignorance at anything that it deemed different. Maybe it wasn't just salivating at the idea of devouring a person who they didn't understand.

Someone finally came along to restore my faith that there are actually humans on the Internet.

And that person was Caitlyn Jenner.