The model niece of Princess Diana has told people to ‘work on their own self-esteem’ rather than knocking social media.
Lady Kitty Spencer, 28, who has 491,000 followers on Instagram, has defended social media against naysayers who blame it for a rise in children’s low self-esteem.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Lady Spencer said: ‘Social media doesn’t have a conscience – it’s how you use it. You give it the power.
Lady Kitty Spencer, 28, the model niece of Princess Diana has told people to ‘work on their own self-esteem’ rather than knocking social media
‘It’s up to each individual how you let anything make you feel.
‘I think rather than being overwhelmed and knocking social media, maybe people should be working on their own self-esteem. Maybe the problem started before that – if you are so easily made to feel bad, what’s that about, where did that start?’
Lady Spencer, who has 491,000 followers on Instagram, has defended social media against naysayers who blame it for a rise in children’s low self-esteem
Lady’s Spencer’s Instagram following saw a big surge ‘overnight’ after Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
Her page shows a swathe of holiday snaps, modelling photos and exclusive events.
In August she was spotted at an airport in Venice sporting a £23,000 outfit which included a £2,000 top, a £2,000 bag and an £11,400 diamond ring.
Though Lady Spencer defended social media to the hilt she claimed to hate her phone and said: ‘It always feels like an invasion.’
Children’s charity ChildLine has repeatedly warned of a nation of ‘unhappy youngsters’ that have come about as a result of social media.
In 1986, when the 24-hour helpline began, children’s top concerns were sexual abuse, family problems, physical abuse and pregnancy.
Whereas in 2016, the main issues raised were family relationships, low self-esteem and unhappiness, bullying – including cyber-bullying – and self-harm.
Children reported concerns about their online image, gathering social media friends and the desire to copy celebrities as they strive for the ‘perfect’ body.
In an interview with the Telegraph , Lady Spencer said: ‘Social media doesn’t have a conscience – it’s how you use it. You give it the power. Maybe the problem started before that – if you are so easily made to feel bad, what’s that about, where did that start?’
In August she was spotted at an airport in Venice sporting a £23,000 outfit (pictured) which included a £2,000 top, a £2,000 bag and an £11,400 diamond ring
And in February 2017 a 15-year-old Ruby Seal killed herself after spending hours in her bedroom trying to get likes on her posts.
Her mother, Julie, 42, has called for social media to be banned for under-16s and said: ‘I’m sure if social media wasn’t a thing Ruby would still be with us.’
NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: ‘It is clear from the hundreds of thousands of calls ChildLine receives that we have a nation of deeply unhappy children. The pressure to keep up with friends and have the perfect life online is adding to the sadness that many young people feel on a daily basis.
Ruby Seal, 15, who lived in Carlisle, Cumbria, took her own life in February 2017 after nobody responded to a social media post she had made. Her mother Julie, pictured together, is now campaigning for Ruby’s Law which would see social media banned for under-16s
Ruby, pictured, who suffered from mental health problems, got her first social media account on Facebook when she was 12 but soon made ones on Instagram and Snapchat
‘The worries that young people face and the way they talk to us have dramatically changed since ChildLine was launched, and we will change to make sure that no matter what, young people will have a place to turn to whenever they need it.’
One 13-year-old girl told a ChildLine counsellor: ‘I hate myself. When I look at other girls online posting photos of themselves it makes me feel really worthless and ugly.’
A 12-year-old girl said: ‘I feel like crying all the time. I’m constantly worried about what other people are thinking of me. I use social media sometimes but that just makes me more depressed as I hardly have any friends online and no one likes my posts/photos.’
However, some research has even linked social media and internet use to mental health benefits, especially to teenagers who are afraid to talk to someone they know in person about their psychological struggles.