Harassment in 140 Characters

Lena Dunham revealed during the Golden Globes that she would be making her departure from Twitter. At first, you might wonder why a successful young woman would abandon one of today’s most essential social media channels. One glance at Dunham’s mentions makes it abundantly clear.

“People like, threaten my life and tell me what a cow I am. So I decided I was gonna … I check it occasionally, but it isn’t the same co-dependence Twitter and I once shared. … There’s a lot of people I love on Twitter, but unfortunately you can’t read those without reading deranged Neocons telling you you should be buried under a pile of rocks.”

Disagreements and Death Threats

The creator of “Girls” experienced plenty of controversy in 2014 and has her fair share of critics. That being said, the things people write about her are abhorrent. No matter the topic, her tweets are often met with name calling, death threats, and rape threats.

Dunham isn’t the only celebrity to take a step back after abuse. Zelda Williams quit social media this summer after the death of her father, Robin Williams. She was bombarded with graphic images and insults from sockpuppet Twitter accounts and anonymous users.

People Before Brands

Amy Poehler on Celebrities Read Mean Tweets #5

Part of the reason it’s so easy for anonymous users to share their sleazy opinions is the lack of immediate consequences. Nobody was punished for the harassment of Zelda Williams, and nobody will be punished for Dunham’s ongoing threats. Personally, I believe this is only half the problem.

I believe there is a large disconnect between the perception of celebrities as brands instead of actual people. These users don’t see Dunham or Williams as human beings, but rather as vessels for a show they don’t like or an opinion they don’t agree with.

Disconnect or Block it Out?

So where is the breaking point? When is it time to turn off social media and cleanse yourself of 140 characters of vitriol? From a PR standpoint, I believe it depends on the situation; there are no clear cut rules. I think Williams made the right decision to take a break during such a tumultuous time in her life. As for Dunham, I’m not so sure. On one hand, I think it’s smart to remove something that makes your life miserable, but you shouldn’t be forced to leave social media because of bullies.

Overall, you should do what’s best for you. Social media should never cost you your happiness.

Do you think Dunham is making the right decision? Share your thoughts below.