Ironically, some people who use social media to promote mental health awareness also leave hurtful comments on other people’s posts that may have a negative effect on their well-being. Nowadays, celebrities may be trolled online for pretty much anything, and their purposes are becoming increasingly bizarre.
Taylor Lautner, however, is not going to be a celeb who keeps quiet, instead, the actor chose to be candid about the effects of offensive online remarks. On May 22, the Twilight actor posted a video to Instagram in response to criticism that Lautner “did not age well” in a social media post.
How did Taylor Lautner respond to all the hate?
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Lautner began by outlining what had occurred and how it affected him. He said,
“I just got back from a run, I was feeling really good about myself, trying to stay healthy both physically and mentally and I felt compelled to share something with you.”
The actor further added,
“I was going through the comments and it brought up old feelings and memories on why I don’t look through comments.”
Lautner revealed some of the comments, many of which made reference to him “not aging well” and how he “looks so old.”. All of this might not seem that alarming, but being constantly targeted by such comments can leave a mark on just about anyone. Lautner, however, had apparently outgrown the hate he receives online. Explaining to his followers, he said,
“If this was 10 years ago, five years ago, maybe even two, three years ago, that really would have gotten under my skin and it would have caused me to want to just go in a hole and not go outside”.
Showing that he is in a good space right now, Lautner said,
“You find value where you put it. And if you put your value in what other people think of you, that’s how you’re going to feel. But if you put your value in you knowing who you are, what’s important to you, what you love, that kind of stuff won’t get to you.”
Lautner then proceeded to end the video by appealing to his followers “to be nice” and to “spread positivity” to one another.
The support for the Twilight star came pouring in
After posting the video, Lautner received great support from all his fans and followers. Even celebrates joined the commotion when Clayton Echard, the star of The Bachelor season 26 said,
“Love that you shared this. It takes a ton of vulnerability, courage and strength to do so. People need to realize the weight of their words and it doesn’t help that there’s often no accountability when it comes to social media.”
Bachelor Nation star Kaitlyn Bristowe, who is known for her candidness also left a comment saying,
“Holy shoot. Thank you for sharing this. I sometimes need to practice what I preach and this was really powerful for me. Thank you.”
Some of the people whose comments he made reference to in the video even individually apologized to the actor for how their words harmed him as a result of the video.
Hopefully, others will also follow Lautner’s recommendation and thoughtfully ponder the words they post on social media.
Source : Parade
