Skai Jackson Exemplifies How Self-Confidence Is The Perfect Weapon Against Internet Bullying
Skai Jackson has been making headlines this past week for her exemplary grace and self-confidence, combatting the Internet bullying of Azealia Banks in a manner that those twice her age could learn from.
The 14-year-old actress is being dubbed a “Twitter hero” for how she handled Banks digging at her with some serious fighting words.
In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Jackson talked about her experience speaking out against Banks and how she’s managed to keep such a thick skin, despite her young age and dealing with hateful commentary online.
“I definitely deal with that all the time, but I just think of it like this: No one’s gonna like [everything] you do at the end of the day,” Jackson told the Huffington Post. “There’s always gonna be someone who doesn’t like what you do who’s gonna always hate on you. But for me, I’m living for what I do, I’m living for myself.”
“Anyone’s opinion that’s hateful, it just doesn’t matter to me because to me, it feels like for you to be spending time to comment on my page or liking my posts and saying these things, obviously I’m doing something for you to pay attention,” she continued. “So no matter what I’m doing, you guys are paying attention even though you are hating. So I just don’t take any offense to it and I’ve dealt with it since I was 9 years old and even younger. And know that it doesn’t really matter what people say. I’m just rooting for myself.”
As if Jackson isn’t already your hero after reading that, her words reflecting on Banks’ social media actions further prove all the ways she is wise beyond her years, and is on the right path in the entertainment industry, with both positivity and a career with longevity in her future.
“My mom has definitely influenced my confidence, because when I was younger in public school, I would always get bullied for little things like being the shortest in my class, being smallest, just really stupid things,” Jackson said. “And my mom would always tell me, ‘if someone bullies you, don’t just sit there and let them bully you. Do something about it or tell someone about it.’ So I have always taken that on, what my mother said.”
Jackson also talked about how she applied her mother’s sound advice when dealing with “the whole Azealia thing,” as she put it.
“And I kinda used that with the whole Azealia thing that just happened,” she continued. “I mean, she is a bully, she is an internet troll. So for me, reading all these racial slurs that she was saying to different celebrities in the past couple months — and I’m like the 30th person now — I felt that I just had to voice my opinion because I have dealt with bullies over the internet and in person. I just feel like what she’s doing is not OK.”
She concluded the interview with some advice for those struggling with bullying offering that, “At the end of the day, you’re a beautiful person and you don’t need to meet anyone else’s standards. Just live for you.”
We're so proud of you, Skai!