There is hardly a bigger target for cyber bullies than celebrities. Their personal life is often out in the open for all to comment on, using anonymous and hidden names. One star is tired of the madness and meanness. Now, this rap star quits social media.
Australian born rap star Iggy Azalea announced on her Twitter feed she is quitting social media. This started while on a Valentine’s Day vacation in Hawaii. While in a one-piece bating suit, paparazzi took photos of her. I’m guessing this was without Azalea’s knowledge or approval, but that’s another subject for another time. But the brutal, ugly and nasty comments poured in, simply because…surprise, surprise, her body isn’t perfect! Cyber bullies target the cellulite on her thighs. On February 18, Azelea announced she was taking time away from social media. She says the hate has made her an angry person, and that the Internet has become an ugly reflection of humankind. Azelea tweeted from now on, her management team will be running her social media accounts.
This post vacation cyber bullying isn’t the first run-in Iggy Azalea had with social media. In the past several months, she’s had online feuds with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Papa John’s Pizza. I think this latest episode was the final straw. I respect Azalea for making this bold move. If this is what it takes to have peace of mind, then good for her. No amount of fame, fortune or celebrity is worth losing peace over. But she’s only partially right about something: the Internet is an ugly reflection of humankind. While many lives has been lost and destroyed because of cyber bullying, think of all the lives that have been saved and made better because of all the good the Internet is doing. Can we dish out less of the bullying and more of the encouragement, please? And who gave the paparazzi permission to take those photos of her anyway?