"The Kindness Mob" has come to the rescue of hundreds of online bullying victims

Kahri Salyars of King George, Virginia, was just starting her weight loss journey when her proud husband encouraged her to post a video about it to TikTok.

"I liked how I looked," Salyars, 28, told CBS News of her feeling after losing 40 pounds. "I liked how happy I genuinely looked."

However, the response to the video that was posted in March was toxic.

"Then like overnight, hundreds of hate comments," Salyars said. "… 'You're really ugly, you're fat, your husband deserves better.' It just kept going."

For a full month after, people piled on with hundreds of insults.  That is, until the tide turned and a wave of encouragement drowned out the trolls.

"It was weird because, where are all these really nice people coming from?" Salyars asked.

It was such a drastic shift, it really defied explanation. To Kahri Salyars it almost felt like an organized effort, like an army of kindness warriors had just come rushing to her defense. That turned out to be exactly what it was.

Tyler Brickley of Kansas City, Missouri, runs "The Kindness Mob," a group about half a million strong that secretly battles internet spite.

"We make every effort for them to never find out," Brickley said.

First, the Kindness Mob picks a target, someone who is being bullied. Then, they shower that person with compliments.

Brickley said the goal is to try and make the internet seem kind.

"It feels outrageous, but that's exactly what we're trying to do," Brickley said. "And it's the most beautiful thing I've ever been a part of."

Since starting the group in 2023, Brickley and his Kindness Mob have digitally rescued about 400 strangers, like Salyars, who just can't stop reading the comments.

Salyars eventually figured out Brickley was behind the shift, but it didn't matter. She says her confidence is back.

"I would say so," Salyars said. "Positivity overtook the hate."