Millie Bobby Brown experienced 'soul-breaking' bullying at school
The 15-year-old said she wants to make social media a 'happy place'
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Millie Bobby Brown has revealed that she endured “soul-breaking” bullying when she was in school, which led to a lot of “anxiety and issues”.
The Stranger Things actress spoke to Orlando Bloom in an interview with Glamour for the magazine’s digital May issue about what she hopes to accomplish as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and how her own experiences led her to where she is now.
Discussing social issues facing young people today, the 15-year-old said it is “extremely important” for her to speak out against bullying, after revealing that she was bullied at school in England.
According to Brown, she switched schools because of the bullying she faced, but it still “created a lot of anxiety and issues that I still deal with today”.
“I have dealt with situations both in real life and online that are soul-breaking and it genuinely hurts reading some of the things people have said,” she added.
To combat bullying, the actress wants to make social media a “happy place” - by focusing on the positives.
“Social media is one of the best places in the world and one of the worst - it counteracts itself,” she said. “It sends such amazing messages; it raises awareness of situations that need to be heard.
“Nobody should say it isn’t a platform for positivity and change. But then there are some really heartbreaking things to happen on social media and I have dealt with a lot of bullying online.”
During the interview, Brown also said she wants to protect children from issues such as violence and exploitation.
The Godzilla 2 star, who was named the youngest-ever UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in November, has previously discussed bullying, and the impact it can have on youth.
In June, the actress took a moment to address online negativity while accepting an award via video during the MTV Movie & TV Awards, reminding viewers that if they don’t have anything nice to say “just don’t say it”.
“There should be no space in this world for bullying, and I’m not going to tolerate it, and neither should any of you,” she said.
You can read the full interview with Millie Bobby Brown here.
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