FEATURE:
Filter It Out
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Instagram, Social Media and Protecting the Mental-Health of Musicians
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MANY of were rocked by the news of…
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Caroline Flack’s suicide last Saturday (15th February). The former Love Island host was hardly allowed a moment to breathe by the press, and she was subjected to trolling on Twitter. There is no telling what exactly caused her to take her own life, though one can be sure the press intrusion, mocking and the nastiness she received online played their part. It is a desperately sad case, and the loss of a hugely popular figure and incredible human will, I hope, lead Twitter and other social media platforms to rethink the way they tolerate trolling. I am not saying there will be radical change, but social media sites and the tabloid press, between them, need to take their share of the blame – not to mention the trolls who perpetrated the abuse that, doubtless, would have impacted Flack considerably. Her death hit me very hard – despite the fact we never met -, and it, sadly, brought up the toxicity of social media and how it has allowed everyone and anyone to say anything they like. When it comes to online abuse and privacy invasion, artists are not immune. Nobody should have to face criticism or such ugliness on Twitter, and it shocks me so many artists have to shut down their social media account or had to come offline for a bit. Although Billie Eilish is a megastar whose has won awards and triumphed lately, one would hope that she would face very little negativity and unhappiness.
IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish/PHOTO CREDIT: Vanity Fair
As this article explains, Eilish has had to step away from Instagram:
“Billie Eilish has announced that she is no longer reading the comments left on her Instagram account. Speaking to the BBC with her brother Finneas O’Connell about their Bond film theme song “No Time to Die”, the 18-year-old also shared some candid thoughts about the social media app and its affect on her mental health.
When asked whether she reads everything on Instagram, Eilish said she recently stopped reading comments, saying: “It was ruining my life, once again.”
O’Connell added: “I think you might see someone like a famous celebrity and you may think, ‘Sticks and stones, nothing I say is going to be potent to them… but it’s all very equal online.”
Eilish, who took home five Grammys this year for her debut LP WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, continued: “Cancel culture is crazy. The internet is just a bunch of trolls. A problem is that a lot of it is really funny. I think that’s the issue, I think that’s why nobody really stops”.
It is interesting that Eilish mentions humour and how people find online abuse funny. I guess, when there is no filter or punishment, people feel like they can write anything they want and feel protected. One bad thing about Instagram and Twitter especially is how many fans artists accrue, and how easy it is, despite lots of positive comments, to be affected by the bad ones.
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Many might say artists should come off platforms like this, but they are selling their music and want to connect with their fans. It is not fair for them to be forced off because some people offer nothing but hatred and idiocy! It is hard to say the true impact of social media trolls across the music industry, but a lot of artists have seen their mental-health impacted by trolls. It is hard enough staying on social media and promoting your music without the negative stuff; adding that into the pot is too much. Others will say people have the right to say what they want and, really, they are just words! I cannot fathom why anyone would post anything hurtful to artists like Billie Eilish or celebrities like Caroline Flack. Although it is good for artists to step away from social media as much as they can afford, it is not a practical solution having all artists remove themselves. They are not the ones spreading negativity and hatred, so why should they suffer? I do think a couple of things need to happen – especially in the wake of Caroline Flack’s death. I do think there should be stricter punishment for those caught trolling; bans need to be imposed too. Whilst it is hard to avoid trolling before it happens, maybe a filter of sort could be applied so that, before a comment is posted on Instagram or Twitter, it goes through moderators. That may sound extreme and unfair on those who are perfectly respectful, but it would mean artists do not have to face the sort of poison that is taking its toll.
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Perhaps an easy solution would be to push adverts and campaigns that outline the effects of trolling; to encourage a kinder community by showing the damage harsh comments can cause. Maybe, when it comes to bigger artists, their label and management could moderate their pages and ensure the comments that reach their artists are free from the sort of bile that so many people have to read. It is clear a tough approach needs to be taken by those who run Twitter and other social media sites. In sheer terms of mental-health impact, trolling and online abusers probably do not realise just how bad it can get, and how their words make someone feel. I think lifetime bans from social media would deter a lot of people and, whilst one could easily make up a name and get a new Twitter account, every effort needs to be made to ensure trolls are not allowed to breed and return to the Internet. I am sure there is a way – it might be costly – to create a programme that can read a tweet or Instagram comment and detects negativity or offensive words; it would mean those words do not reach the Internet and, if someone is caught constantly abusing social media, they could be banned. It is heartbreaking seeing anyone pushed to such extremes by online trolling and a lack of kindness. Society needs to change, and we need to ask why it is okay to attack someone and abuse people we do not know – and ask whether people who do not care about anyone but themselves should be allowed on social media. We need to put first the welfare and mental-health of users above anything else. Big changes need to happen now in order to make social media…
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BETTER for everyone.