Sports Illustrated Model Kate Wasley On Dealing With Brutal Insta Trolls

If there’s one really frustrating part about being online, it’s that there are so many opportunities for people to hide behind their keyboards and say cruel things, seemingly without consequence.

Most of us will be lucky enough not to deal with it very often (though TBH we should not have to deal with it AT ALL), but for people with larger online followings, it can be even more brutal.

When Sports Illustrated model Kate Wasley’s body positive Instagram account started getting more followers, she copped a ridiculous amount of online rudeness about the way she looks – something we know now to be beauty cyberbullying.

She told us all about how it first started happening when she was reposted by an account with a big following – how she was curious about the thousands of comments posted, how it made her feel awful to see all the negativity about her bod (despite the fact that it’s totally rocking, FYI).

Kate’s story sadly isn’t that unusual, and that’s what makes it all the more important that we try and nip beauty cyberbullying in the bud – because nobody deserves those kind of insults hurled at them, both online or offline.

Rimmel London are trying to equip folks with the right tools to make sure that if they (or any of their mates) are getting beauty cyberbullied, they know exactly what to do. Teaming up with The Cybersmile Foundation, one such tool will use artificial intelligence technology to provide advice and direction for users who are struggling with issues stemming from online abuse.

The Cybersmile Assistant (released on March 15th, the National Day Against Bullying and Violence) will also make use of geo-tagging to make sure that the resources and help it provides is location-specific, so no matter where you are you can still get targeted advice.

The most important thing is that people know not to measure their self worth by what random strangers on the internet have to say about their appearances. It’s hard and takes a heck of a mindset shift, but it’s so worth it.

If you’re being beauty cyber-bullied, don’t be afraid to reach out. Not sure what to do? Rimmel London’s toolkit here can be helpful in showing you how to approach the situation. 

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