Social media can be a very dark place

The notoriously private Hollywood actress found herself on the wrong end of relentless trolls on social media in 2018 after sharing a sweet picture of herself and Emma Roberts. 

Despite being well used to public exposure, Roberts admitted she was totally unprepared for the intensity of the online criticism in today's digital age and feared the effects it would have on younger generations.

At the time of its release it sparked conversation about online safety and the impacts of bullying, but it has been almost six years since she made these remarks and the social media landscape has arguably become a much darker place for younger generations since.

The interview - with Oprah Winfrey for Harper's Bazaar in 2018 - coincided with the actress’s Instagram debut.

It was re-shared on Thursday by Comedian, Ali Wentworth on instagram as a poignant reminder of the need for change.

The video features Roberts' voiceover with a montage of her photos over the years, including a moment captured with her niece, Emma Roberts, enjoying a game of cards. 

This particular photo is what caused a wave of hurtful comments about Julia's appearance when Emma originally re-posted it in 2018. People were commenting that she hadn’t aged well and that she ‘looked like a man’ as trolls battled it out in the comments to leave the most hurtful messages.

Roberts explained: "Something did happen recently on my niece Emma’s Instagram that I think taught me a lot about what it’s like being a young person in today’s society. 

"One weekend morning Emma slept over, and we got up and were having tea and playing cards and having this beautiful morning, and then a couple of days later she posted a picture of us. 

“And the number of people who felt absolutely required to talk about how terrible I looked in the picture -- that I'm not aging well, that I look like a man, why would she even post a picture like this when I look that terrible!"

She went on to say that she was surprised at how hurt she was - as a 50-year-old confident and successful woman - and feared that younger people wouldn't fare so well under this level of scrutiny.

"I was amazed at how that made me feel. I’m a 50-year-old woman and I know who I am, and still my feelings got hurt. I was sad that people couldn’t see the point of it, the sweetness of it, the absolute shining joy of that photo. I thought, 'What if I was 15?'"

She continued: "I was so happy that happened because I had this whole new glimpse into a way of living that I didn’t get at all. You have to go through things to understand them, and this was just a little paper cut of what can really go on with social media.”

Wentworth thanked Julia Roberts in the caption for her insightful commentary on the dark nature of social media - particularly for highlighting the impact it’s having on younger generations. 

She went on to acknowledge the challenges still faced by parents who are trying to navigate the virtual landscape to shield their children from the negative impacts.

One person responded to the throwback video saying: ”Good Lord I love her! She’s SPOT ON! This generation truly has no clue. The bullying has gotten out of control and I feel there’s a whole different kind of “meanness” out there. Big reason I got off of Twitter. It has become a toxic breeding ground for bullies. God bless Julia for speaking up and speaking out.”

Another said: “She nailed it. It’s sad how people take time out of their miserable lives to make negative comments but I don’t expect anything less from a person who has to hide behind the internet to be rude. Julia is a classic beauty who looks so amazing for her age and she’s a great hardworking family woman. People need to learn how to be more positive, empowering and uplifting towards others instead of always being negative.”

Among the hundreds of responses, a third added: “Bless her for speaking up and speaking out! And you too! While we weren’t looking, this generation of kids has unfortunately become the guinea pigs as the first generation to grow up on and become addicted to social media and all the severe dangers that come with it. As a mom of 3, I can tell you if I had it to do over I would have moved to a mountain top somewhere and kept them OFF it. 

“It’s horrific and nasty and quite frankly impossible to protect our kids on social. I truly wish we could. My son would probably still be alive today, as would 10s of thousands of other kids. Not to mention the severe depression, body image issues and low self esteem it builds in them. Many of us are working so hard to change the laws in a way that at least allows parents to actually indeed scaffold and protect our kids. If you want to learn more, check out SammysLaw.org. It’s simple but WORKS and has bipartisan support.”

So, as society continues to grapple with the effects of social media, Roberts' words should act as a fresh call to action for action going forward.

If you or someone you know has been subjected to online bullying, you can find information and resources here: https://www.youth.ie/programmes/projects-initiatives/web-safety-in-youth-work/cyberbullying-inappropriate-content/

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