6 YouTube Celebs Speak Out on Cyberbullying
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Cyberbullies may not directly witness the harm they're causing, but the effects of cyberbullying can be devastating. Its victims are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety, according to the CDC, and one 2016 study found that 34% of people experience cyberbullying at some point. Perhaps nobody knows this better than YouTubers, who deal with trolls along with fans in their comment sections. This also means there's nobody better to learn from when it comes to dealing with cyberbullies.
When you're being harassed online, it's important to do whatever you need to feel safe and supported. Many people find that reaching out to loved ones can help, since the experience can leave you feeling isolated. Others prefer to call out their trolls to take back the power, though you don't need to if you're afraid of retaliation. Others find it's best to unplug for a while to get a break from the anxiety that can come with constant exposure to cyberbullies.
In addition, we ourselves should make sure not to contribute to cyberbullying. This means calling our friends out when we see them cyberbullying someone, avoiding jokes at others' expenses, and supporting people who reach out to us.
Here are some YouTubers who have shared how they deal with cyberbullying and spoken out about the need to fight it.
Jason LaVeris / Getty Images1/6#1. Danielle Cohn
Danielle gained attention through infectious videos of herself lip-synching and dancing on the app Musical.ly, Buzzfeed reports. At just 13, she began earning enough money to help support her family and moved to LA to be near all the companies partnering with her. Unfortunately, along with her success, there are Instagram pages dedicated to bashing her.
"I feel I am targeted the most because of being so young, growing my following within a year, and having support from my family who allow me to live my dream," Danielle told Buzzfeed. "I think I’m targeted the most due to the fact that I grew very fast on Musical.ly and a lot of people are jealous of that."
She gets through it by reminding herself that it's not about her. "It doesn't bother me," she said. "It's a bunch of little kids telling me I'm hungry, fat, I'm a slut. The people who know me know the truth, so I don't let it get to me, 'cause obviously they're doing it because something's going on in their house and they're taking their anger out on me."
Andreas Rentz / Getty Images2/6#2. Madison Beer
On the Z100 Morning Show last year, Madison took down the idea that people are in any way, shape, or form asking for bullying just by being active on social media. "I wake up and have been told to kill myself like thirty times already," she said. "It’s definitely what comes with it, and a lot of people say, ‘Yeah, but this is what you signed up for.' I think that’s such a shame to say. It shouldn’t come along with me making music and following my dreams. It’s upsetting those two go hand-in-hand now because of social media."
She also pointed out that while some may prefer to ignore the bullies, it's also a valid choice to speak out. "I think a lot of people would say ignore it, move on, and don’t pay any attention to it. But, I always think it’s OK to stand up for yourself. You shouldn’t have to ignore things or brush things under the rug," she said. "I think everyone is allowed to defend him or herself, and remember the bullying and hatred comes from them. I always say when someone says something negative about me, it’s really saying something negative about them. If you want to stand up for yourself, then go ahead!"
Steve Zak Photography / Getty Images3/6#3. Rebecca Black
After "Friday" vent viral, Rebecca was targeted with a flood of online insults and death threats. "One minute, I was a normal girl and then, in the next, millions of people know who I was and they were ruthless in hurling the most vile words my way," she wrote in an essay for NBC. "People were writing things all over the internet, on social media and they were laughing at me on TV shows, and making fun of me in YouTube videos. It was open season and I was the target. The fact that there was a human, a person — a 13-year-old girl — on the other side of the screen seemingly escaped so many people’s attention."
At the time, she tried to pretend it was all OK, even though it wasn't. But since then, she's healed from the experience by remembering that people were bullying her because of their own pain. "I do understand now that bullying also says so much about the pain of the bully; no one will ever bully others if they feel good enough themselves," she wrote. "But that doesn’t excuse their behavior, it merely explains where change needs to happen."
"Talk to someone who can help, whether that’s a friend, a trusted adult or a mental health professional," she advised others. "Whatever a bully is saying about you is wrong."
Getty Images4/6#4. Shannon Beveridge
LGBTQ Youtuber Shannon Beveridge, also known for her appearance in Fletcher’s "Wasted Youth" video, told Teen Vogue last year that she tunes out the haters by focusing on her fans.
"Everyone on Tumblr gets random, anonymous messages from assholes, but I always ignore them because what’s the point? Why reach out to the one person being mean when there are so many people being positive who I can reach out to instead?" she explained. "Don’t acknowledge them because if you do, you give their words power."
Kevin Winter / Getty Images5/6#5. Emily-Anne Rigal
Emily-Anne uses Youtube not only to entertain others with her hilarious alter ego Schmiddlebopper but also to educate them about online bullying. She founded the non-profit WeStopHate to raise awareness of cyberbullying, prevent it, and help people deal with it.
She told Teen Vogue that she believes self-love can both make you more resilient to bullying and make you less likely to bully others. "I was bullied as a child and my experience was so traumatic that I was forced to switch schools," she said. "Throughout middle and high school, my self-confidence gradually increased. The more I accepted myself, the less disconnected I felt from my peers and the happier I became. Overcoming my personal struggle with bullying and loneliness inspired me to create WeStopHate.org. My heart goes out to those struggling with self-acceptance. I believe it is my life's work to help others turn self-hatred into self-love. If you're happy with yourself, you are less likely to put others down."
Paul Archuleta / Getty Images6/6#6. Eva Gutowski
Eva said in a Teen Vogue video that she remembers not to take people's reactions personally because trolls will target just about anything. "You could literally go to the cutest coffee shop ever and post the most Insta-goals photo of a coffee on a little plate and people say like, 'Ew! Coffee is so gross!'" she joked. "Just shake it off because literally you could post anything and someone will always have an opinion, whether it's positive or negative."
"You just have to find people that are like you, follow people on Instagram that spread positivity, and kind of create your own bubble of happiness on the internet," she added.
Related: 5 Ways You Might Be Cyberbullying Someone Without Realizing It
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