Many times, public figures, especially those in the entertainment industry have fallen prey to social media trolls.
The celebrities have been subjected to intense cyber bullying such that at times some individuals have fought back with damning responses right there and then, while others just recoil.
Names such as the late Lucius Banda, Gwamba, Dorothy Kingston, Zeze Kingston and Johnny Zembani Banda are some of the individuals that have often been targeted by social media trolls.
But the latest case involves female musician Tuno who has been forced to quit music because of what she says are negative comments which have been persistently aimed at her, including body shamming.
In an interview, Tuno said she has decided to choose herself over her career following the abuse that she has encountered throughout her career.
“It is time to choose myself. The load was too heavy to carry. Music meant everything to me, but not anymore,” she said, as she calls time on her nine-year music career.
The artist said some people think artists are not human beings such that they say a lot of bad things about them forgetting that they are also human beings with feelings.
In a separate interview, rapper Gwamba said although he has faced his own fair share of attacks, he does not let it get under his skin.
He said: “That nonsense cannot affect me. I pay little attention to such bullies. They cannot defeat me.”
Arts and social commentator Wonderful Mkhutche said social media bullying can ultimately have an effect on the mental health and careers of the artists.
‘This is the bitter reality of the industry. You expose yourself to all sorts of opinions from people and one has to be mentally prepared for that. This is not to justify the bullying, but you can never run away from such individuals,” he said.
Mkhutche said the law needs to be acting firmly on social media bullying in order to have a digital space that is free and friendly to all. He added that artists also need to be mindful how they handle themselves as some of the bullying happens because of their actions.
He said: “Artists must learn to ignore and put the noise aside. In a social world, people always talk. But it also needs a person who can isolate the noise from fruitful conversations. Artists must come together and petition authorities to firmly act on the trolls.
“If they are united, they will create attention to the issue and favourable action.”
