By Angela Wilson | Intern UAB School of Education | CHHS
Is There Any Kindness on Social Media?
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, also known as Lizzo, is a talented singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. She is a trained flutist and has cemented herself in history by playing a crystal flute that President James Madison once owned at a concert in Washington, D.C. She has won four Grammy Awards, two Soul Train Awards, and a Billboard Music Award. With over 13 million Instagram followers, there is no denying that Lizzo is a hip- hop and cultural icon. But with all her wealth, success, and fans, Lizzo is ready to call it a quits. She admits to being fat and she (usually) proudly displays her body in skimpy, revealing outfits, but not without social media trolls reminding her that she is overweight.
One would think that having a voice and stage presence as large as Lizzo’s, she would be somewhat shielded from mean spirited people who seem to get joy from name calling. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Lizzo is constantly fat shamed because of her body. She posted to her Twitter account (in part), that she was close to giving up and quitting because of all the name-calling she receives. She concluded that the love she receives does not outweigh the hate. So here we are (seemingly) on the cusp of losing one of the most influential hip-hop icons of our time, all because of a lack of kindness and compassion from the social media community.
Lizzo’s experience is just a small sample of a larger issue that is impacting millions of Americans. As our world leans more toward innovative technology and digitalization, we are seeing an increase in people being targeted by online bullying and offensive name-calling. According to The Pew Research Center (Vogels, 2021), 41% of adults have experienced online harassment, and women are more likely than men to be victims. While some perpetrators perceive cyberbullying as harmless fun, the effects of cyberbullying are serious. Victims of online bullying may experience feelings of distress, increased feelings of mood swings and depression, insomnia, low self-esteem, and even suicide. So, while Lizzo’s platform brings visibility to this ongoing issue, there is a significant amount of work to be done to help alleviate it, and that work starts with each of us. As social media users, we need to get involved and actively promote a safe, supportive, and welcoming online environment for people being bullied. There are no bystanders when it comes to cyberbullying and harassment. So, the next time you are on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform, and you see someone being cyber-bullied, will you interject with kindness and be a part of the solution, or be a part of the problem?
References
Cuncic, A. (2022). Verywellmind. The Psychollogy of Cyberbullying. https://www.verymind.com.
Vogels. E. (2021). Pew Research. The State of Online Harassment. www.pewresearch.org.
PHAME-US 