i Editor's Letter: Stamping out bullying over social media
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Working in a modern-day newsroom, we all keep an eye on our Twitter feeds in the way news editors do on the "wires".
Like the wires, Twitter can be pre-set to throw up subjects that we are known to be interested in. The very choice of who I follow defines the type of news I will personally receive in my feed, but I can always see what's "trending".
On Sunday night, "Cher Lloyd" started trending. I don't know much about Ms Lloyd other than she finished fourth on an X Factor series, and evokes passionate, divided reactions. She has a following – in Twitter's case, literally: 2.17m. Her name "trended" as she played the V Festival, because she was booed offstage having had bottles of urine thrown at her, leaving her in tears. To her credit, she finished her set.
How Twitter loved it. People, not just anonymous people, lined up to make poor piss jokes and hurl further abuse at a 19-year-old. It really bothered me, and it should you. Not because I hold any particular candle for Cher Lloyd, but in any other aspect of life this would be called what it is, bullying. And, I am pretty damn certain that many of those tweeting abuse would claim to be anti-bullying.
This is the latest in a whole string of stories about young women being vilified in public, be they on-stage or on Twitter and Facebook. As a society we have to take a good, long look at ourselves and stamp this out. Social media owners need to take more responsibility for these comments. I was going to write "before it's too late" but for many teens, driven to desperate measures by being bullied, it already is.
Follow @stefanohat
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments