Unfortunately the world is full of arses, and whilst people should sit on their arses so as not to continually speak out of them, many of them dont.
So what we have is a trend of arses running around shitting out their opinions all over the internet because they think it makes them look clever, funny or cool.
And to their fellow arses, yes it does make them look cool indeed.
Best bet: Ignore the arses and carry on doing your own little thing in your own little way as long as its not hurting anyone.
Yes people can be creul, because a lot of people dont care these days. That is just the way of the world, and you or the lassy with depression is not the one who is at fault.
On saying that not everyone is going to like your work, or are not going to get along with you. The trick is to find people who do appreciate your work/writing or who you are as a person (warts and all) and hang around with them. Find people who understand, and ignore the wallies of the world!
I like to play around with photography and i have had people who have run my pictures (and me to the point of stalking me around a website jus to take digs at me) down into the ground and yet there have been others who have loved my photographs/cross stitching. Its a matter of taste. But if someone feels the need to be rude when giving a critique of a piece of work, i just ignore them. It is possible to critique a piece of work and not be rude or insulting in the process.
I dont mind criticism what i do mind are insults intended to put someone down or be rude towards them. Some people have no manners.
Lets hope the arses come down with a nasty bout of constipation, it would make a welcome break from their seemingly constant case of diarhea.