SHUT UP NO MORE: STARS NAME AND SHAME TROLLS
Celebrities, long at the receiving end of social media trolls, are giving it back, more so to those who issue rape or death threats
There’s no end to social media toxicity, but the recent incidents of celebrities getting rape and death threats on these platforms have raised an alarm, not just on women’s safety, but on trolls in general. Many celebs who were at the receiving end, tackled such incidents admirably.
Actor Alia Bhatt’s sister, author Shaheen Bhatt, named and shamed the people who issued them threats. “...to those of you who think it’s okay to send me or anyone messages full of hate: If you send me a message with the sole hope of humiliating, insulting, or bullying me.. I will NOT protect your identity. … I WILL use all legal recourse available..” Actor Rhea Chakraborty, girlfriend of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, too, shared a screenshot of an Instagram direct message, exposing the user’s profile name and picture.
POSITIVE EXAMPLE
Yogita Bhayana, founder of NGO PARI, shares that public figures speaking up is a good sign. “These celebs have the backing and should not take this nonsense at all. A normal girl might not feel empowered, but actors can speak up,” she says, adding she has faced such threats in the past.
Counselling psychologist
Sachita Sethi concurs that when celebs make such a statement, it helps highlight the issue. “It’s good that celebs are coming out, they’ll be role models for youngsters.”
Emphasising that most trolls assume an anonymous identity, clinical psychologist Pulkit Sharma says, “It’s because of the medium that gives the comfort of lashing out without consequences.”
CASES ON THE RISE
Cyber bullying cases are, of late, more rampant. Rekha Sharma, chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) elaborates, “Since the lockdown started, NCW received 289 complaints on cyber crime and took suo motu cognisance of several cases on which it was tagged on Twitter. We need more trained police officials to help us solve these cases.”
Bhayana adds this is where the problem lies. “Even if you talk to experts, there are no clear guidelines. If you go to a police station, they’ll direct you to the cyber cell,” she says.
ACTORS HIT BACK
Last month, actor Meera Chopra was left shaken after receiving threats from the fans of a popular Telugu actor. “It makes a difference to somebody’s psyche,” she asserts.
Actor Richa Chadha doesn’t take online bullying quietly, and says most people who issue violent threats online, rely on anonymity. “Some do it to get famous and end up in jail like Shubham Mishra (who gave rape threats to stand-up comic Agrima Joshua). Whatever we do online, has consequences,” she says.
And recently, actor Sonam K Ahuja took to Instagram to share a death threat her sister, Rhea received. “Instagram doesn’t think death threats is a violation or their India team can’t read Hindi,” she wrote when they refused to take down the comment.
When somebody takes an extreme step, who’s to be blamed? Would these people feel good?
MEERA CHOPRA ACTOR
Everything stays alive on the internet, if not today then tomorrow they’ll have to face the brunt, in terms of loss of job or reputation.
RICHA CHADHA ACTOR