Social media bullying is a serious problem. A number of people including noted personalities have been a victim of online bullying. People don’t seem to realise the adverse impact that incessant bullying can have on the person. People go out and about trolling the person just because they have a platform to express their “opinion”. However, how cool is it to give rape threats and go about calling names to a person just because they had a different opinion?
Among the many others who have been a victim of social media bullying include, Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, renowned journalist Barkha Dutt and Rana Ayyub. Daughter of a Kargil martyr Gurmehar Kaur faced severe backlash for advocating peace. She received rape threats and was abused on social media for batting for peace between India and Pakistan. Barkha Dutt who is known for being outspoken has been trolled time and again on social media and have been called names for speaking her mind.
Journalist Rana Ayyub has found herself on the receiving end of the social media abuses on several occasions and has been also called a “prestitute”. However, these ladies have refused to cow down to trolls. They have refused to get off social media and have responded to these vivacious trolls with utmost dignity. As a part of Hindustan Times’s campaign, Let’s Talk About Trolls, which aims to fight against the trolls, the three ladies come out to speak about their experiences and affirmed that trolling is not cool in any way.
“A campaign that was started by the students and for the students against violence suddenly became a controversy about me and where I came from. Well, my dad at the border took real bullets. So this, I can take,” Gurmehar said in the video.
All these trolls trolling the #LetsTalkAboutTrolls campaign are the reason we need this campaign in the first place.
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) April 16, 2017
“They use words like whore, bitch, they deeply sexualised abuses. I will never quit Twitter. I will never give the online mobs the satisfaction of having silenced me,” Barkha Dutt said.
Such an important campaign. Thank you @ghoshworld @shammybaweja @httweets and Hey Trolls, we are here to slay you. #LetsTalkAboutTrolls https://t.co/MHwthA0TA9
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) April 16, 2017
“From the Phogat sisters from Haryana to actors like Randeep Hooda, it was an entire troll academy and I was trending for two nights and there were only abuses online.
You can watch the video here:
