Social media can be a welcoming, empowering environment for all to be safe and heard. But oftentimes, it paints over the toxic truth.
Over time, social media has become one of the most widespread ways of bullying. What should be an easy way of communicating with friends has created backlash. These days, seeing disrespectful content on major platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, or Instagram is inevitable.
PV counselor Valerie Tucker has noticed the negative effects of social media resulting from this new age of technology, “I can’t imagine the overload of negativity that people your age face. Now, someone could post on their story that I’m ugly and hundreds of other people could comment on the insults. The damage that can do to a person’s self-confidence and self-worth blows my mind and breaks my heart,” she stated.
What was once a place for casual communication has become an outlet for anonymous bullying.
Many major figures of pop culture have had enough of social media and are finally doing something about it. Lizzo, Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson all left social media for a period of time in 2020. Apps like Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok were the unfailing outlet for internet trolls to leave negative comments and accusations.
These breaks have affected fans like senior Sumika Thapa. “I feel terrible for the celebrities who receive such hate, resulting in the desire to disconnect from social media. I can’t imagine the struggles that would come with having a large platform with several eyes on you,” Thapa stated.
The common factor in these social media breaks: mental health.
All kinds of productions released by pop culture figures are bound to get some sort of negative response. However, considering anything can be posted with a click of a button, public hate has become easier than ever. New technological advancements have created a breeding ground for hate to be spread easily—not just affecting teens, but celebrities too.
Once Millie Bobby Brown, most known as eleven from Stranger Things, recovered from hate across the media, she came back to Twitter better than ever. To bring social media users together in unity, she started a movement coined @MillieStopsHate. It quickly became her new platform of spreading love and positivity, something the world was lacking. It influenced other artists not to fear when they simply needed a break.
Other celebrities such as Selena Gomez have taken a different approach. One of the most followed individuals of Instagram, Gomez does not run her own platforms, instead allowing her management to be in control of her social media presence. Gomez claims that her obliviousness to what’s going on in pop culture has saved her life.
Many have followed in Gomez’s footsteps. Major figures in the pop culture industry speak about mental health, and are not afraid of the truth. For instance, Shawn Mendes opened up about his experiences with mental health over Instagram in early 2022, resulting in the cancellation of his world tour. With music as his passion, he needed to put himself first. Surprisingly, he was met with support from his fanbase.
Tucker agrees that social media should be used in a more personal way, removing negativity from one’s feed. “I think we all have to look at how we are using social media and eliminate the things that are not making us feel good about ourselves and others. Don’t follow people whose opinions you don’t care about or whose lives you aren’t that interested in,” Tucker continued.
This advice allows individuals to focus on their own self interests, rather than just the trends and what’s seen as popular. Taking this moment away from social media can validate one’s self worth and provide the opportunity to seek growth.
People of this generation abuse updated technology by bringing others down. Celebrities have been dragged into this issue and it has built silence within pop culture. Breaks for one’s mental health have been seen as very beneficial to these influencers, and they share how effective these cleanses are, influencing others to do the same. The world must see the beauty of social media, and the unification it can provide generations today, steering away from its hateful capabilities.
