Society is cruel. I suspect it’s always been that way, but it seems more pronounced than ever, especially on social media.

It’s not uncommon to read people’s posts tearing others down, usually people they don’t know or have never met. For weeks following The Superbowl, I read people saying utterly cruel things about Taylor Swift because of her indirect involvement with pro football.

You don’t like her music. That’s ok, everyone can’t like everything. You’ve never heard her music. Then you don’t really have room to criticize it.

She got a lot of attention during the last NFL season. So what? Why are people so unnecessarily cruel to someone who poses no threat to them?

The irony is that Taylor Swift hasn’t done anything to anybody. In fact, she’s doing better than most everybody. And she’s probably done more for you than you realize.

I’ve never met her, but I can tell you three things about Taylor Swift.

The first is that the anecdotal comments I’ve read all point to her as a sweet, personable, down-to-earth girl. And for a celebrity, that’s a darn good record. She is extremely philanthropic, giving to charities and even rewarding her staff with bonuses. The other thing I know is she makes people happy.

I recall a podcast – one of the many devoted to the artist – in which the podcaster remarked that Taylor Swift brings joy to people.

She’s nice, she gives, and she brings joy to people. What’s not to like about that?

I find it illogical that she can be so popular, yet so seemingly disliked. According to Rolling Stone, her Eras Tour was the highest-grossing tour of all time, beating out Elton John two times over. Merchandise sales alone are estimated at about $200 million.

Maybe you’re thinking “Who would pay to go see her?” Point fingers, but be careful because that finger is likely aimed at someone you know.

The frenzy really built up as Superbowl Sunday approached. Internet trolls were upset because she took up 20 seconds in combined screen time out of a three-hour game.

Critics moaned because it wasn’t fair that every other Chief’s team member’s significant others didn’t get screen time. Well…they’re not famous. Her treatment was no different than any other celebrity spotted in the crowd, but she just happened to be dating one of the players. Don’t blame her for where the camera operator went.

Whether you like her or not, you cannot deny that you’ve been touched by the Taylor Swift Effect.

It may not feel like it, but as a professional artist, she has been with us for almost two decades. She has released more than a dozen albums and her music holds steady in the charts.

She’s a cultural icon, recognized as one of the greatest songwriters of the 21st century. But hey, you don’t like her music…or you’ve never really listened to her. I get it.

She’s probably done more for the economy than you realize. Did you know that she is responsible for a total economic impact from tour-related spending of $5 billion in cities where she’s played?

To be clear, that is revenue generated through hotels, convenience stores, restaurants, and tax dollars. In her own small way, Taylor is helping the economy.

Let’s talk about why negative opinions of her don’t matter. According to CBS News she’s worth “about $1.1 billion on the low end.”

She is the only living artist to have four albums in the Billboard top 10 at the same time since Herb Alpert did it in 1996. Ted Nugent, the conservative hero no one wanted, is among her critics, but when’s the last time he realized the success she has? Or Candace Owen, who wastes time looking for things to criticize Swift for. I argue that Swift’s voice is louder than hers.

Maybe the vitriol aimed at Taylor Swift says more about us as a society than it does about her.

There is a quote attributed to Mike Tyson that is truer than ever: “Social media made you all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.” I’m not advocating violence, but the point is well made. It’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and be critical of others, especially those doing better than us.

Your rebuttal may be that there are others out there who deserve attention more than Taylor Swift. I won’t debate that, but at the same time I’d inquire why she isn’t worthy of the attention she gets. She’s highly successful, rich, attractive, and a seemingly good person. Even Harvard academics have praised her for her musical and cultural contributions.

Maybe most of us can’t handle seeing someone else reach such dizzying heights of success, especially a woman. Some people aren’t content with others’ happiness if they aren’t happy too, something social media demonstrates all the time.

We need more people in this world who encourage smiles, compassion, and joy. When we’ve reached the point of throwing tomatoes at people who contribute goodness, we’ve become no better than the trolls who work adamantly to complain, criticize, and ultimately embarrass themselves with immature behavior.

Most of us have never even met Taylor Swift, so I ask…what’s Taylor Swift done to you?