Lena Dunham: Twitter ‘Wasn’t A Safe Space For Me,’ Prefers Instagram
Actress Lena Dunham is apparently staying away from Twitter.
In a recent interview, according to Re/code Decode, the Girls star stated that she does not even “look at Twitter anymore” due to the “verbal violence” caused by weight shaming comments via the social media platform.
Lena Dunham used a posted picture of herself wearing Calvin Klein underwear as a prime example of those verbally abusive remarks and overall targeted weight shaming.
Within the caption of the picture, Lena Dunham opened up to her fans and followers about the rough week that she was having at the time followed by an inspirational message.
“It felt like my body, my hormones, my general sense of well-being were betraying me. I wanted to crumple into a pile or hide like a sweatshirt in the lost and found. And I felt as though there wasn’t a way to ask [for] the space and time I needed without hurting someone else.”
However, that message apparently did not stop people from posting negative remarks and hurtful comments about the actress’ appearance in the picture on Twitter.
“It wasn’t a graphic picture. I was wearing men’s boxers, and it turned into the most rabid, disgusting debate about women’s bodies, and my Instagram page was somehow the hub for misogynists for the afternoon.”
Lena Dunham confirmed that she is not getting rid of her Twitter account entirely. Her profile will remain active and updated, but she stated that someone else would administer the account.
By doing that, she is able to preserve over six years of her online activity, including more than 9,800 tweets and over 2.8 million followers.
“It truly wasn’t a safe space for me. I don’t even know my Twitter password, which may make me seem like I’m no longer a genuine community user. I really appreciate that anybody follows me at all, so I didn’t want to cut off my relationship to it completely.”
Lena is not the first celebrity who stepped away from using social media due to the negative comments and criticism she was receiving through the platform.
Back in March, rapper Iggy Azalea also announced that she was taking an indefinite break from social media. An Instagram post on the “Fancy” rapper’s official page announced that “Iggy’s Instagram will be run by management.”
#EOnline #IggyAzalea Is Taking a Break From #SocialMedia #Says the Internet Is the http://t.co/goCEaI5o8x
— ParentingNFamily (@ParentNFamily) April 6, 2015
Lena Dunham walking away from Twitter does not mean that she is walking away from social media in general.
The 29-year-old actress and author confirmed in her interview that she prefers to use another popular social media platform instead — Instagram.
“I still man my own Instagram: It’s a more positive community, it’s really immediate. I take a picture, I post it, I move on.”
On Saturday, Lena added to her extensive list of Instagram posts with a picture of her taking a selfie alongside Hillary Clinton.
Most of Lena Dunham’s fans and critics know that she is not afraid to show off her body. Whether it’s on the set of her hit HBO series or at a race for charity, the Oberlin College graduate has never shied away from an opportunity to show how comfortable she is with her body.
However, she apparently feels just as strongly about the damaging effects of weight shaming, which is why she decided to take the safest route by choosing to stay away from it on Twitter.
“[Weight shaming] creates some really kind of cancerous stuff inside you, even if you think, ‘Oh I can read like 10 mentions that say I should be stoned to death.’… That’s verbal abuse: those aren’t words you’d accept in an interpersonal relationship. For me, personally, it was safer to stop.”
HBO renewed Lena Dunham’s series Girls for a fifth season earlier this year. However, TV Guide reports that the show will come to an end after its sixth season.
[Image Credit: Rob Kim/Getty Images]
