A leading mental health advocate has criticised Twitter and Instagram following the death of TV presenter Charlotte Dawson, urging them to respond more swiftly to bullying attacks on vulnerable users. Dawson, 47, who was open about her depression, was found dead in her Sydney apartment on Saturday.
BeyondBlue CEO Kate Carnell stated that while depression often stems from multiple factors, relentless online abuse can exacerbate mental health issues. She noted that Facebook is ahead of Twitter and Instagram in protecting users from bullying and called for faster responses to reports of harassment.
Dawson had publicly battled online trolls since 2012. Following her death, social media users condemned those who targeted her, with one writing: 'Trolls that abused & tormented @MsCharlotteD, you have blood on your hands.'
Reuben Cunningham, whose daughter was hospitalised after bullying, said Dawson supported his family's anti-bullying organisation, Angels Goal. He called for tougher nationwide penalties for bullying, online or otherwise, stating: 'The laws have to be changed so that Charlotte’s death isn’t in vain.'
