#IWillNotBeDeleted | Rimmel London's Anti-Beauty Cyber Bullying Campaign

Yesterday I posted a teaser picture on my Instastories about cyber bullying, and today's post is one that's hopefully going to strike a chord and encourage people to speak up against this ugly phenomenon, the impact it has on those affected and Rimmel London's #IWillNotBeDeleted Campaign against it.

The beauty world is a breeding ground for cyberbullies - I'm talking shaming bloggers, YouTubers and influencers for their appearance, their style and their creativity, etc just because they portray a look that's out of the norm for example. What's worse? These bullies hide behind a screen and judge people left, right and centre with one single aim; to push them to lose faith in themselves and worse, in some cases it can escalate to a far worse ending. This also applies to all social media users, not just bloggers.

Let's put some statistics into the equation to picture how grave the situation is in reality:

- 55 million people worldwide have experienced cyber bullying at some point or other

- 1 in 4 women have experienced cyber bullying

- In 2017, 115 million images have been deleted from social media because of cyber bullying

With these shocking numbers out there, I'm sure we all know someone who has been a victim of cyber bullying. I have, and while thankfully I haven't experienced it myself, I still go through a lot of thinking before posting pictures for fear of being shamed. 

When someone is taking pictures of me, I don't smile broadly because I don't like my teeth and I'm afraid people will criticise me for them. If I'm posing in a bikini or short skirt, I ask whoever is taking the picture to be careful not to let my cellulite show. In an ideal world, this will not happen but unfortunately, that's not the world we live in. Hence why Rimmel London are launching their #IWillNotBeDeleted campaign this month.

The #IWillNotBeDeleted campaign has three main objectives:

1. Spark a Global Discussion about Cyber bullying

Fronted by Rimmel Brand Ambassadors Rita Ora and Cara Delevigne, the campaign aims at encouraging all those individuals who have been affected by cyber bullying in one way or another with the ultimate goal being that of asserting that cyber bullying is NOT OK in any case.

2. Promote the Conept of Individual Beauty

Cyber bullying curbs self-expression and creativity. It's shocking that two thirds of those who experienced cyber bullying do not talk about it, thus Rimmel have recognized their brand's potential to reach out and allow people to speak up about the issue.

3. Partnering with The Cybersmile Foundation

Lastly, and most importantly, Rimmel has partnered with international non-profit organisation, The Cybersmile Foundation, a multi-award winning charity that is committed to tackling all types of digital abuse.

However, on the other end of the spectrum, I'm happy to see models such as Ashley Graham and Winnie Harlow rising above the challenge and being cast in high profile catwalk shows. This is what beauty is all about after all! We are all originals, we do we have to look like copies of each other?! You like someone's makeup/nails/outfit on a post? Compliment them! If you don't, just don't say anything and keep scrolling through your feed! Simple, no?

If you or someone you know has experienced cyber bullying, please do speak up! Only then will the battle be won, if we keep silent, bullies will triumph. No one should be afraid to share their style/looks with the world if they so desire! 

I WILL NOT BE DEFINED 

I WILL NOT BE HELD BACK 

I WILL NOT HEAR YOUR HATE OR HIDE FROM YOUR WORDS 

I WILL NOT CHANGE MY LOOK 

I WILL NOT CHANGE ME FOR YOU 

I WILL NOT STOP BEING MYSELF

I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY 

I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED

I WILL NOT BE DELETED

Images courtesy of Rimmel London