But we’ve totally lost the plot when it comes to keeping those opinions offline—or at the very least, expressing them with nuance and sympathy toward celebrities who are, mind you, actual people with feelings that can be hurt. Do people even care whether or not they hurt one another’s feelings anymore? Have we given up control over our reflex to stir the pot without considering the impact of our words? Have we all been taken over by digital brainworms that feed off social media engagement at any cost to humanity? This whole situation makes it feel like we have, and that terrifies me.
People online, especially gen-Xers and millennials such as myself, love to complain about the days of yore when we were all being scarred by toxic tabloid culture, which we like to think is no longer of concern. But when individuals participate in such harsh public discourse about celebrities’ faces and bodies, we just take the place of those tabloids—and maybe turn it into something bigger, nastier. Something without limits. Something that can’t be controlled the way a media outlet with teams of writers and editors who gut- and fact-check each other before we publish something inaccurate and hurtful can.
Gen Z has the excuse of not having been cognisant or even alive during that peak tabloid era, but the rest of us already know how this story ends—generational self-image issues—and ought to set a better example if we want anything to change for the better.
“Millie Bobby Brown is at an age where it’s normal to experiment—with clothes, with makeup, with life in general. She’s doing exactly what she should be.
If you, like me, are pissed that there’s so much hurtful content about other people’s faces on your feeds, the best thing you can do is absolutely nothing. Many media outlets (especially those of the tabloid and blog variety) see any kind of engagement with it as a sign to produce more—even if you’re commenting about how much you hate said content. I can’t speak for the editorial practices of individual creators on social media, but refusing to engage might at least train your personalized algorithms to stop showing you this crap.
As for Millie Bobby Brown, let’s just cool it yeah? She seems to have already moved on from the matter anyway: She declined to comment when I reached out to her team; the Instagram statement speaks for itself, they told me.
Still, consider these facts: Brown has been working full-time in a hyper-demanding job for more than half of her relatively short life. She is an actor who must constantly evolve her appearance to book jobs and remain relevant, not just to casting directors but to all of us. She is a young woman at an age where it’s normal and even healthy to experiment—with clothes, with makeup, with life in general. She’s doing exactly what she should be doing at her age: having some fun. All the while, she’s maintained her vulnerable and relatable social media presence—she’s still posting makeup-free selfies, being candid about her acne, and now, being upfront about how this whole ordeal has made her feel. Can we not just give a little credit where it’s due?
