To Live On the Internet
by Allison Lee
Olivia Rodrigo kicks off her debut album SOUR with the opening number ‘brutal’, an angsty teenage anthem fueled by disdain for unrealistic societal expectations and constructs to which Rodrigo replies: “God! It’s brutal out here.”
Hidden within the pleats of the pandemic was the rise of social media as a marketing tool for both personal and industrial usage. Applications like TikTok have bypassed conventional routes, making it easier than ever for just about anyone to showcase their personalities, products, and performances. With this in mind, a wave of self-proclaimed creators jumped on the departing train, eager to either make a brand out of themselves or simply create content that they and others can enjoy.
Content creation, for many, often sparks off as a hobby that helps them branch out to several others. Many careers have taken off in a positive and exponential trajectory thanks to Instagram and TikTok, but the world as we know it doesn’t allow for fame and happiness to coexist.
Social media and its virality algorithm have made it easier than ever for a single person’s article, photo, or video to reach the screens of millions. Concurrent with this ‘overnight fame’ is criticism and backlash, haters and naysayers picking at creators under a very much unnecessary microscope, taking notes on their every nuance, keeping receipts, waiting for one vulnerable moment so they can tear those creators apart.
There is no fault in providing constructive feedback targeting areas you think a creator could improve their content on. However, the internet has opened portals for all kinds of nasty comments to come through, especially those targeting young female creators and artists.
Since her skyrocketing music career began earlier this year when her chart-topping hit ‘drivers license’ induced oceans of tears, the media spotlight has grown brighter on Olivia Rodrigo. With the release of her debut album, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter garnered an increasing fan base as well as people who don’t have many kind words to spare.
While the media and music industry writes about seeing glimpses of Taylor Swift and Lorde in Rodrigo, netizens beg to differ. Some insist that all Rodrigo sings about in SOUR is heartbreak and jealousy, calling her ‘immature’ for releasing a whole album pivoted around one romantic experience.
To this, Rodrigo maintains a Swift-like composure as she responded in an interview with The Guardian: “I’m a teenage girl, I write about stuff that I feel really intensely about. And I feel heartbreak and longing really intensely… I think that’s authentic and natural. I don’t really understand what people want me to write about; do you want me to write a song about income taxes? How am I going to write an emotional song about that?”
It’s upsetting that when a young girl attempts to turn her feelings into enjoyable melodies to share with the public, there is a portion of society that sees it as justified to tell the girl what she should or should not write about. Not to mention, the double standard is evident when we look at the instances, or lack thereof, when male singers like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, or Adam Levine sing about their relationships and breakups. In other words, it seems as if when women show their emotions, they are ‘overreacting’; when they don’t, they are a ‘stone-cold bitch’. You don’t need me to spell out just how problematic that is.
Speaking of problematic, let’s not forget that the patriarchy has deemed it not only valid to criticize what rolls off of women’s tongues but also what their bodies look like and how they are covered.
In early June, Rodrigo took to Instagram to show off her impeccable style and outfit, only to be on the receiving end of body-shaming comments. Sporting a tartan dress and rocker boots, the singer looks nothing short of amazing—only, internet trolls disagreed and felt the need to fit in a word or two about Rodrigo’s appearance.
Under a tweet that shared the same photos, one user replied: “Is this edited? She looks extremely thin. Like, sickly thin.” There are even netizens who went as far as to speculate Rodrigo was “promoting anorexia to the young audience”, urging her to ‘eat more’.
A person’s body and skin are theirs to have and theirs to judge. In no universe are we granted the legal right to comment on somebody else’s appearance, much less suggest ways that they can change it so it would fit our aesthetics. Not to nullify the fact that all genders can be vulnerable to unsolicited comments, but women are statistically more susceptible to them. In a world where ‘dad bods’ are considered ‘hot’ and natural uterus bumps are considered ‘not’, it’s time we revisit the topic of body-shaming.
Brooklynne Webb (@xobrooklynne on TikTok) is one of many body-positive creators that centers their content around the importance of accepting and loving one’s own body. Her love for fashion and makeup paired with the insane confidence exuded in her videos has resonated with millions of followers.
You would think that as a civilized society, we would want what’s best for everybody, which more often than not is happiness; yet time and time again, society never fails to strut into the room and declare a one-eighty. Webb is merely a seventeen-year-old who happens to love the way she looks; between jealousy and a mind tainted by the patriarchy, there are people who think Webb’s confidence is something that warrants ‘humbling down’.
At this time of writing, going onto Webb’s recent Instagram posts, there are already a handful of ill-willed comments that no young woman should ever have to endure. What takes a few seconds and taps of the finger to concoct doesn’t always belong on the internet. The game is fairly simple: Once you’ve typed out your comment, imagine someone saying the exact words to you. Then, imagine someone saying the words to your friends or family. Should you feel offended, hurt, or threatened at any point of this exercise, I’d recommend you backspace furiously.
The world seems to be threatened by women who know their worth and aren’t about to apologize for it or settle for less, a reaction that is a byproduct of the intensely ingrained misogynistic attitudes in certain communities. Take yet another TikTok creator, Caroline Lusk, for example.
Lusk has amassed a huge audience for filming shorts consisting of her opinion on social issues, often raising awareness for topics like eating disorders and pretty privilege, unafraid to call out TikTok users who unfairly discriminate against others. However, Lusk’s poised and bold mannerisms do not sit well with some people, many of whom are quick to criticize her for being ‘cocksure’ and ‘arrogant’, commenting that she would be ‘so much prettier if she were just sweeter and quieter’.
To which Lusk responds: “Then, thank God I don’t exist for you to find me pretty… and the funny thing is when a guy has the same mindset that I do, or has the same mannerisms that I do, it’s perceived as hot. It’s sexy, he’s self-assured, he’s confident…”
The fact that assertive and self-respectful women intimidate men into leaving comments asking the women to ‘stay humble’, ‘keep your mouth shut’, or ‘cover up’ is alarming. There is a stark difference between calling out people for saying or doing something offensive to a community, and dragging them down simply because they do not fit your idea or aesthetic of what a person should look, behave, or talk like.
What’s even more outrageous is when internet trolls invade creators’ privacies and the more intimate parts of their lives. Allow me to go on a tangent and discuss a topic that equally affects all genders:
Sexuality is an issue that has gained momentum in recent years, resulting in a larger population learning about the spectrum and respecting others’ sexual identities. Some of the heartwarming content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are of people coming out to their families, friends, or fans when they are fully prepared to do so. However, we often forget that this experience is unique to the individual; they have the right to decide if they want to disclose their sexuality, when they’re going to do so, and how.
If you haven’t been living under Patrick’s rock and are well-versed in Gen Z language, then perhaps you would understand that the questions “Do you listen to girl in red?” and “Do you listen to Sweater Weather?” are subtle ways of gauging a person’s sexuality. During my mindless, procrastinative hours of TikTok-scrolling, I have encountered these questions being left in the comments section under many creators’ videos on multiple occasions. Although the commenters might feel as if they are asking a harmless question in an effort to know the creator better, these comments are, in one way or another, pressuring the creator to answer the question. Moreover, these comments usually come in flocks; hence devising a space where the creator feels obligated to come out to their audience even if they’re not prepared.
In this day and age, putting content out on the internet—be it photos, videos, art, or music—equates surrendering yourself to both the daisy, summer-y praises and the vile talons of trolls and haters. It’s the first and most invisible clause in any contract that many creators and artists turn a blind eye to if it means they get to pursue what they love and hopefully reach somebody else who resonates with their creations.
We must not forget that just because a person puts themselves on the internet doesn’t mean they owe us an explanation of who they are or who they love, nor should we forget that the people on our screen are just as vulnerable as we are, just as human as we are.
As social media moves to become a highway in the marketing and advertising world, it’s all the more reason to hold on to why it was all invented in the first place—to enable self-expression and to connect people.
This article alone will not miraculously remove all hateful comments from the internet, nor will it create a safe space for young girls to create content. Rather, it is a statement that acknowledges the brutality of this virtual space we have all congregated in, and a response to that brutality, saying creators do not curate content to stroke the male ego or to fit into the boxes that society has cut and taped for us.
To everyone on the internet: You are not, and never will be, the opinion of somebody who does not know you and who only dares to hide behind a screen.