Of course, I'm not talking about the wars going on in the real world. Rather, I am talking about the increasing hostility between several parties here in deviantART. Flaming is rampant, and blames are set back and forth. People's privacies are compromised for the sake of insult. To make matters worse, this war is affecting the way deviants are interacting with one another. Established friends are driven apart by different beliefs, and they usually prey upon one another. This is the world of online bullying.

As a neutral person, I am exposed to both sides of the story. And, although they both have their own stands, I am not at liberty to pick a side, as it would only make the situation worse. Friendship is a fragile thing, and must be nurtured accordingly. And in this ever-darkening world we are in, illuminated by the flames of rage going on between two people who just can't come into an agreement on something, it just hits me, this anguish each side is feeling.

The psychological impact of this conflict goes beyond their status online. A person may be driven into depression, or even suicide, by these sorts of cyber-threats. Many people have been driven to death by these, from your average computer geek to matinee idols from different countries.

Most of all, the flame war, much like wars in the real world, is a massive waste of resources, of time, energy, and thought. All that brainpower quite literally goes down the drain, since the situation never gets resolved, it only gets worse, eating up your minds like the bloodthirsty monster it is.

Whether or not you are involved in the flame wars that are sporadic in the community, you have to be aware of the damage they put to society, and that it is time for them to finally bury the hatchet.