There was a time when Instagram was only meant for sharing beautiful pictures and Twitter was used for sharing information and quotes. Cut to 2021, these social media platforms have become a source of spewing hatred, trolling, and giving unsolicited comments. Online bullying has become extremely dangerous because trolls enjoy the power of anonymity and hold no accountability for their actions. Sadly, be it Bollywood, Hollywood, or non-celebrities, there’s hardly anyone in the world who has been spared from vehement trolling.
Recently, model Chrissy Teigen, who was once fondly called the ‘Mayor of Twitter’ for speaking her mind and educating the trolls, quit the micro-blogging platform. She shared a note on her Instagram handle and explained her decision. She wrote, “The platform no longer serves me as positively as it does negatively, so with that I bid you adieu.” She further added that she did not blame Twitter as they tried hard to stop the trolling. But, it was rather the hatred that made Teigen feel that she was disappointing her fans. She concluded that she no longer wanted the unnecessary negativity in her life as it was not worth her time.
She wrote, “I hate letting people down or upsetting people and I feel like I just did it over and over and over. Someone can’t read that they disappointed you in some way every single day, all day without physically absorbing that energy.”
Soon after Teigen announced her decision to quit Twitter, Sonam Kapoor took to social media handles and wondered if she should follow the step as well. In one of her Instagram stories, she shared an excerpt from Chrissy’s note and wondered if everyone should quit the micro-blogging site. But interestingly enough, she also suggested that creating an online account should be similar to opening an account IRL. She wrote, “There is no accountability on the social media platform. Opening social media accounts should be like opening any other accounts in the real world. You should need an ID proof.
She shared the story as a tweet as well and asked, “Has Twitter become too toxic?”
Has Twitter become too toxic? @Twitter @TwitterIndia @jack pic.twitter.com/I5HMr5EMEd
— Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) March 25, 2021
In the past, the Veere di Wedding actress had opened up about how she had been a target of online bullying. She had spoken about her ordeal and how she had received threats and abusive messages on social media amid the never-ending nepotism debate. Sonam had switched off the comment section on her social media posts and wrote, “Yes I’ve switched off my comment section and my parents comment section because I don’t want my 64-year-old parents to go through this. They did nothing to deserve this. And I’m not doing it out of fear you morons I’m doing it out of common sense to preserve my mental health and my parents.”
While social media platforms are trying to do their bit to make the internet a safer place, there is no denying that there’s still a long way to go. Even though Sonam’s suggestion on how to hold people accountable for their actions is impressive, it’s still vague and does not solve the problem in the long run. While experts need to come up with better and stronger solutions, people need to understand that they need to make better choices on their own. The world can be a better place only when people decide to let go of their inner negativity.
Feature Image: Instagram
