TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio has opened up about the hardships and pressures she’s faced from the mega social media app. PHOTO CREDIT: Contributed by youtube.com
TikTok’s biggest star deserves better.
Dear Charli D’Amelio, you deserve better.
In March of 2019, the overnight sensation went from living the life of a normal teenage girl to becoming the queen of one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
“How did she do it?” one might ask, and the answer is plain and simple: we have no idea.
D’Amelio herself claims to “not get the hype either,” but as her platform continues to grow, currently peaking at 127.8 million followers on TikTok, we can’t help but wonder.
It’s with no doubt that Charli is talented, as she has been training in dance since she was 3 years old. However, I think people are also drawn to her relatable, genuine personality.
Unfortunately, this fame has not come without its drawbacks and a fair share of haters.
Despite being labeled as “America’s Sweetheart” by her alleged ex-boyfriend and former TikTok star Chase Hudson, Charli has also been put under a microscope, body shamed and called “talentless.”
As a 19-year-old girl, I understand how hard it is to be a teenager in this decade, and it pains me to think about the way Charli is treated. She was only 15 years old when she first became a social media sensation, yet people of all ages were ripping her apart, and continue to do so.
For example, Charli has been shamed for being both too skinny and chubby. Not only does she have to deal with the body image issues that most girls her age face today, but she has to deal with millions of people commenting on her body every day.
She opened up about this on her Instagram story last September.
“I’ve always tried to use my voice when it comes to issues surrounding body image, but I’ve never talked about my own struggles with eating disorders,” she wrote. “It’s so uncomfortable to admit to even your closest friend and family, let alone the world. I’ve been afraid to share that I have an eating disorder, but ultimately I hope that by sharing this I can help someone else.”
In my opinion, Charli shouldn’t feel the need to share these private details of her life with “the world,” and it upsets me to know that she was pushed into sharing this information. At the time, people were claiming that she wasn’t doing enough to advocate for body positivity, and I remember others were claiming to feel triggered by the lyrics of songs she would dance to on TikTok.
Charli further commented on the nit-picking, going into detail on her family’s Hulu reality show, “The D’Amelio Show.”
Throughout the series, both Charli and her older sister, Dixie D’Amelio, open up about how being in the public eye has negatively affected them.
In one episode, Charli reveals information about her unhealthy relationship with food in a candid conversation.
“Whenever I first started TikTok, I was very unhealthy,” she said. “I would lose a bunch of weight, and then gain a bunch of weight, and then lose it, and my comments would switch up with that.”
I’ve followed Charli for quite some time, and as somebody who frequents Tik Tok, I’ve seen these comments myself.
From claiming that she has gained weight, to that she looks like “skin and bones,” to that she doesn’t deserve the fame, I’ve seen it all, and I’m sick of it.
I wish Charli nothing but the best, and I hope that those who leave negative comments online realize how greatly their words affect others.