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It can get weird and dangerous out there, in the vast wilds of the internet. You’d best take a few Pandas with you for safety!

The internet and social media aren’t inherently good or evil: they’re tools that we use however we want to and they double as mirrors of us as a society. Suddenly, online anonymity can seem both a blessing and a curse while the freedom of expression bumps into some serious trouble where fake news is concerned.

So it’s no wonder that from the moment that you log on in the morning and the second you log out at night that your experience is likely to be a mixed bag of good, bad, and straight-up ugly posts. Those last two categories? That’s where the r/insanepeoplefacebook subreddit shines the brightest.

A community of nearly 2.1 million members, ‘Insane People Facebook’ collects (yup, you guessed it!) the most ‘insane’ posts on Facebook and beyond. We’ve collected some of the best of the worst of social media to share with you today, dear Readers, so grab yourself a bucket full of popcorn because the ride’s going to be wild.

Bored Panda reached out to the r/insanepeoplefacebook moderator team to learn more about the community from the perspective of those who actually manage the day-to-day. Two members of the team, both with four years of experience, were kind enough to open up about the subreddit. One of the moderators told me that the subreddit "was meant to be a collection of insane submissions to social media." Meanwhile, the second moderator, Merari01, said that the subreddit is fun and "it's great to see how successful it has become over the years." 

Read on for our full interview with the two moderators and how the 2016 US presidential election changed the online group.

#1

What About Nurses Who Wear Them 10 Hours A Day!?

What About Nurses Who Wear Them 10 Hours A Day!?

Mary_Floid Report

A representative of r/insanepeoplefacebook told Bored Panda that the founder of the community isn't as active as they were before, meaning a new generation of moderators has taken over. "I was not personally involved in making the subreddit but the person who was isn't active much anymore," they said. One of the things that truly made the subreddit take off was the presidential election in the United States in 2016 when Republican Donald Trump won against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

"I've been here for four years or thereabout when we had 300k subscribers. The community has grown rapidly since the 2016 election and now has 2 million subscribers. It's become much more political over time as well," the mod said.

According to the moderator, the vast number of members means the subreddit can get incredibly busy. However, the moderators also have to deal with people from other communities as well. "The subreddit can get very busy just because of the number of people who use it. Our biggest challenge is generally interference from other communities but we do have tools that deal with that. That's probably our biggest challenge," they said.

"It's a fun subreddit to moderate because our users are very engaged. Never a dull moment," they added.

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#3

Walmart Is All Out Of Fs To Give

Walmart Is All Out Of Fs To Give

DaFunkJunkie Report

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Vorknkx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Democracy is a combination of rights and responsibilities - can't have one without the other. You have the right to shop wherever you like... but also the responsibility to wear a mask when required to.

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Meanwhile, a second moderator, redditor Merari01 shared that they'd been chosen to join the mod team the very same day as the other redditor. "The subreddit has gotten a lot more busy since then and like most everything else since 2016 can get pretty partisan at times. The team moderates fairly and equitably within the existing ruleset. One thing we do not allow is when people try to use the subreddit to post something racist or bigoted and that's something we look out for," they shared.

What's more the redditor's very enthusiastic about the fact that r/insanepeoplefacebook has inspired the creation of other similar online groups. "It's great! It's a measure of success when a subreddit branches off into other communities."

In Merari01's opinion, moderators are as busy as they want to be. There's always work to be done if you're looking for some. "You can micromanage and check every comment made, but who has the time for that?" they said. "Mostly we check the queue and the front page of the subreddit. We're all experienced enough to see when a post is made that will likely attract problem comments. In that case, we often choose to lock the post. We're all volunteers here who moderate as a fun hobby and no-one wants to continuously press F5 to stay on top of rulebreaking material in that case," they said.

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#4

This Anti Vaxxer Trying To Stop Her Son From Getting Vaccinations Himself

This Anti Vaxxer Trying To Stop Her Son From Getting Vaccinations Himself

Helix1050 Report

#5

Fact Check

Fact Check

My_Memes_Will_Cure_U Report

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Soyexfox
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A FASHION LINE WORTH OVER 200 MILLION SHOULDNT EVEN BE THE POINT HERE, PRIDE OF KNOWING THAT YOUR CHILD IS HAPPY IN THERE OWN SKIN WITH THERE OWN LIFE, THAT SHOULD BE THE POINT, AND IN MY OPINION ITS BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE WORST OF HOMOPHOBICS ARE NORMALLY PROVEN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THERE OWN SEXUALITY

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#6

Excellent Reply By The Doctor To This Antivaxx Piece Of S**t

Excellent Reply By The Doctor To This Antivaxx Piece Of S**t

shampoo_and_d**k Report

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J Garza
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You didn't need a costume for Halloween. Your pretending to be a human being is enough.

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"We have an experienced team that communicates with each other about moderation and policy issues and our community can be funny and empathetic. Like with all social media it has its downsides in that sometimes negative things get posted but all in all the good far outweighs the bad," they shared with Bored Panda that communication is the bedrock that helps the subreddit work well.

Founded back in 2015, the ‘Insane People Facebook’ subreddit recently celebrated its 6th birthday. In that time, it’s grown to a tremendous size. What’s more, it’s even inspired the genesis of some other similar subreddits that are following in its footsteps.

For instance, like Bored Panda wrote in September, the ‘Insane People Quora’ subreddit branched off from r/insanepeoplefacebook after there was a sharp rise in Quora-related content being posted on the sub.

The founder of ‘Insane People Quora’ shared with me that r/insanepeoplefacebook is a “catch-all for social media insanity.” However, with more Quora content being posted there, there was a demand for a separate subreddit. A place that could exclusively focus on Quora and nothing else.

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#7

The Burn Of The Highest Order

The Burn Of The Highest Order

shampoo_and_d**k Report

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Little Wolf
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this often seems to be an argument from anti-vaxxers. What about clothes Rebecca?

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#9

A Lot Of People Actually Retweeted It

A Lot Of People Actually Retweeted It

KajEriksen Report

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Walking On Sunshine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Note that this guy is one of the heads of the proud boys. Nick Fuentes. Definitely a very confused person. Since he's brown.

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"I saw a comment suggesting there should be a specific one for Quora as it's quite different to standard social media (having Q&As only) and decided to make it from there. Getting the first few thousand members took a while with crossposting Quora posts I found to r/insanepeoplefacebook. Some reached the front page of Reddit which is when the sub started seeing a large increase in numbers and became self-sustaining, meaning I didn't need to post as much to keep the sub going," the founder of ‘Insane People Quora’ spoke to Bored Panda about their relationship with r/insanepeoplefacebook.

One of the biggest perks and drawbacks of social media is the ability to post things online anonymously. The positive side of this is that people are far less afraid about sharing their honest opinions. The negative, however, is identical: people are far less afraid about sharing their honest opinions.

So while some might feel empowered by this, others hide in the shadows to spread hate, vitriol, and misinformation. British comedy writer Ariane Sherine told Bored Panda that anonymity is a tool like all others. Everything depends on how we use it.

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"We feel freer to say things we wouldn't say in real life, but that also means we're more likely to be hurtful. I think the same is true of being on stage for comics—when we're holding the mic we feel free to dispense with niceties," Ariane explained to Bored Panda that anonymity can empower people. Whether for good or for ill.

#10

Why Do People Hate Helping Others? It's Insane

Why Do People Hate Helping Others? It's Insane

trent_rc Report

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Walking On Sunshine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The republican party not only doesn't want to help people, they don't want anyone else helping people either.

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#11

Oh My God

Oh My God

YEETTHETURKEY Report

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Bubonic Plague is still around, you can catch it from wild animal fleas within the US. There have been recent cases in Arizona.

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#12

Yep, No White Peoples Can Learn Spanish!

Yep, No White Peoples Can Learn Spanish!

Datbio69420noscope Report

Meanwhile, Steven Wooding, a member of the Omni Calculator Project team and the Institute of Physics in the UK told Bored Panda that the internet itself “can be both” good and evil. Inherently, however, it is neither. It’s a tool that helps us understand who we are as individuals and as a society.

"The internet reflects the world around it, so everything you find in the world will also appear on the internet. I see it as a great shortcut to information (gone are the days of having to visit a library) that can speed up your learning and ability to do things," Steven said that we should have a realistic view of the internet and what can be done with it.

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#13

Build That Wall!

Build That Wall!

NYxMadridista Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"yeah Italy is the country I was talking about, you guys just hop over the ocean to come steal our jobs!"

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#14

My Friend Is So Smort

My Friend Is So Smort

barelybritishbee Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

people like this don't deserve to go to the hospital if they contract covid

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#15

Is This Even A Question?

Is This Even A Question?

Emmabarnett Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ah yes the people in our society who need extra care and support obviously should be paid less

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One of the main issues with social media has to do with the proliferation of fake news. As misinformation spreads, it becomes harder to fight back against it. Lee McIntyre from Boston University told Bored Panda what role repetition plays in all of this and why media literacy is of paramount importance.

"Repetition is important in making us believe things, whether they are true or not. There is a cognitive bias called the 'illusory truth effect' which is when we are repeatedly exposed to false information over and over and, over time, it begins to seem more plausible," Lee said.

#16

Nervous Charlie Hebdo Screams

Nervous Charlie Hebdo Screams

shrimaan_nobody Report

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Vorknkx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

AFAIK, Islam forbids making any images of their Prophet... and that includes statues.

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#17

No Respect For Elders Anymore

No Respect For Elders Anymore

suckfail Report

#18

Cnn Is Not Messing Around

Cnn Is Not Messing Around

mikiebarb Report

"Social psychologists have known since the 1960s that repetition works, for truth or falsity. In fact, this idea goes back to Plato who said that it didn't hurt to repeat a true thing. And of course, for falsehood, this was one of the main propaganda tactics in Nazi Germany, where Hitler's propaganda minister understood the 'repetition effect.'”

In Lee’s opinion, we should focus on separating the wheat from the chaff and finding those online sources that can be trusted more than others.

#19

If You’re Going To Bring Up Hitler, Do Your Research

If You’re Going To Bring Up Hitler, Do Your Research

asianj1m Report

#20

It's A Tornado Drill

It's A Tornado Drill

SkadoodleMemes Report

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Amsterdude
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is only one Mekka to pray towards, so at least one row of kids is wrong.

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"It would be exhausting to fact check every single news item we hear. In fact, insisting on this degree of skepticism is something that demagogues use to get us to be cynical, because when we doubt that it is possible to know the truth—even when it is staring us in the face—we are riper to their manipulation. So I'd say the best thing with news is to do a little investigation into finding a reliable source," he said.

#22

I’m At A Loss For Words On This One

I’m At A Loss For Words On This One

JSkillet28 Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

of course they aren't, there native to Antarctica. I figured everyone knew that

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#23

Maybe Not "Insane" But I Thought It Was Pretty Funny And I Wanted To Share

Maybe Not "Insane" But I Thought It Was Pretty Funny And I Wanted To Share

PiggyBank32 Report

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Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And how will this person understand when the pandemic is real? Will there be a voice from above yelling: "careful everyone this is not a test! I repeat this is not a test?"

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#24

Guess Kelly Was Too Busy Licking Boots To Realize Her Mistake

Guess Kelly Was Too Busy Licking Boots To Realize Her Mistake

Cloudpaii Report

"Look for an organization that does investigative journalism (and doesn't just repeat information from other sources), double sources its quotations, discloses conflicts of interest, etc. Once we've found that we can relax a bit and trust the reporting behind the stories. Do we still need to be on guard? Yes. Even The New York Times can make mistakes. Or individual reporters can have biases. But that doesn't mean 'all sources are equal.'"

#25

It's A Tragic Day For All Of Us

It's A Tragic Day For All Of Us

lucynyu13 Report

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Eb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd say after 4 vaccines you've got 4 fewer things to pray for.

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#26

Seems Pretty Nuts To Me

Seems Pretty Nuts To Me

LilSmthn27 Report

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Ripley
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe her lawyer . . . sorry, HER LAWYER can explain to her what Terms and Conditions of Service are.

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#27

Sweet Mother Of God

Sweet Mother Of God

PandaJuiceGames Report

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Walking On Sunshine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If anyone doubted that rich people get their way paid through school, Donald Trump should've undone all that doubt.

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Lee also gave Bored Panda a list of questions we should ask ourselves to test the truthfulness of a source. "There are various sources for media literacy that can help. They teach this to KIDS in Finland! It's easy to learn. Is the story copyrighted? Is it dated? Is there a byline? Are other stories by the author solid? Is it published in a source that has been reliable in the past? Does it seem plausible— if not then you can do some research," he said.

#28

Bruh

Bruh

justheretolurk07 Report

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many "Christians" have zero clue what Jesus was trying to tell them. He never once mentioned gun rights, for instance.

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#29

Did You Know Baby Boomers Share Almost 7x As Much Disinformation On Social Media Than Other Adults?

Did You Know Baby Boomers Share Almost 7x As Much Disinformation On Social Media Than Other Adults?

rainbowdallas6 Report

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Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A fetus at 12 weeks does not have features so distinct yet. They're kind of transparent and goopy looking.

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#30

If You Have To Lie To Prove A Point, You've Already Lost The Argument

If You Have To Lie To Prove A Point, You've Already Lost The Argument

jaytix1 Report

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same thought here. Wearing white isn't necessarily a weddint thing. Can be first communion, confirmation, or a funeral depending....

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absolute zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure what this has to do with Israel (obviously not a Muslim nation) but is in the Gaza strip, where one in five girls are force married as minors. In case you didn't read the news lately, girls as young as two are being sold into marriages which they are bound to for life under penalty of death. The fact that these particular girls are not being married doesn't change the fact that this happens millions of times a year worldwide.

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Mona
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is completly untrue! Get your facts straight and stop spreading misinformation about Gaza!

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kjorn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah it's happen all around the world but don't put lies to get to your point. it's like shooting yourself to give proof that guns are dangerous.

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Dave P
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually IDF has no say in Gaza, that would be the PA. IDF only has authority in Zone C, while Zone A and B are PA

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Max
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, only six US states have banned marriage under the age of 18 without exemption - New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and New York. All of these bans were passed after 2018. Most states have an exemption for parental/judicial permission and/or one of the partners being pregnant.

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Cass Thomas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This actually happens in some countries. MEN, full grown men, take children as their brides. Those children are forced to have sex at the ages of 12, some as young as 8. So, this response is an abomination to what actually happens in parts of the world.

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Great Panda Mamu
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesn't matter who you love as long as everyone involved is a consenting adult human being.

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Romenriel
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Soyexfox
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

BUT SADLY IT REALLY DOES HAPPEN IN SOME PLACES CONSENT OR NOT, HARD TO GIVE MUCH CONSENT WHEN YOUR TEN AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELLS GOING ON.

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Vorknkx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think there is something wrong with your keyboard - all the small letters are missing.

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#31

For Real ?!

For Real ?!

Bamarooski Report

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#32

Imagine Being Proud Of Posting This

Imagine Being Proud Of Posting This

gottamemethemall Report

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ThatOneWriter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please be kind to food service workers. There are a lot of shortages, including a massive shortage of patience from customers. And for the love of whatever you find sacred, remember that you are one of dozens if not hundreds of people they will have to deal with in a day. Imagine dealing with whatever level of anger you're bringing in multiplied by that many people, then decide if you could handle that. If not, show a little extra compassion.

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#34

One Of The Coldest Takes I’ve Seen This Month

One Of The Coldest Takes I’ve Seen This Month

WickershamBrotha Report

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ThatOneWriter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The ageism and ableism in that response comment is absolutely sickening.

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#37

Slavery Wasn't Bad! Grandpa Loved Knocking Up The Help

Slavery Wasn't Bad! Grandpa Loved Knocking Up The Help

NumberNumb Report

#38

Depression Is A Phase

Depression Is A Phase

quora Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

be an actual f*****g parent and support your child/send him to therapy, if you can't, give him to someone who will

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#39

Imagine Not Knowing That Puddles Are Normal

Imagine Not Knowing That Puddles Are Normal

Bmchris44 Report

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Susie Elle
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Not a dam thing is done to my water problem" - oh, the irony

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#40

Cut My Life Into Pieces

Cut My Life Into Pieces

andrewface Report

Note: this post originally had 59 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.