Comment at end
1st November, 2009
“Too much aggression and unkindness around”
Stephen Fry, the actor and writer, who suffers from bipolar disorder, wrote online: “I’m obviously not good enough. I retire from Twitter henceforward. Bye everyone.”
He then added: “Well maybe I’ll see how I feel in a few days. Very low and depressed at the moment and any drop of meanness makes it so much worse. Sorry.”
Gentle giant Stephen Fry has been driven into a depressive state of withdrawal by the aggression on Twitter. He already suffers from a mental health condition, as will one in four of us at some time in our lives, so he is clearly highly susceptible. But his response to attacks seemingly by this Twitter Brumplum hit a chord with me today. It is a consequence of the effect on a gentle soul of careless hammering by the average online loudmouth … bully. The type that think they are funny, clever, sophisticated, when they are in reality no more than ignorant, opinionated and self-obsessed.
I’ve read the thread at Mr Fry’s Twitter page and he does seem to have suddenly snapped. The throwing in of the towel didn’t seem to have been trailed. It just suddenly happened. Perhaps that is part of this condition.
But Stephen Fry cannot be the only one to have felt like this after communicating online. His high profile means that people have taken notice. There must have been plenty of others whose last sign-off tweets have NOT been noticed.
[BBC: Fry's manic depressive condition]
NOT ONLY TWITTER OR FACEBOOK
It is my contention that the whole internet is a smoking gun waiting for a spark to set it off.
In recent months I have been particularly disturbed at the level of abusive language as well as intent towards the subject of this blog, Tony Blair.
If Tony Blair suffered from bipolar disorder, he might well have topped himself years ago. Not because of Twitter in his case, but because of the daily bombardment – and I mean DAILY bombardment that he gets from those who care more about their freedom to abuse others than they care about others.
Aside: Mention of these accusations against Mr Blair was made on BBC Radio 4’s The Moral Maze on war crimes and war crimes trials (4 more days left to listen). (Chairman Michael Buerk at one point silenced Claire Fox the politically very left moraliser when she started to introduce the question of Tony Blair’s ‘war criminality’. ) The war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has opened at the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia… (more information here.)
Following Mr Fry’s tweet I left this tweet at my own Twitter page – Blair Supporter
People – be CAREful about others’ feelings. PLEASE. Twitter is NOT a phallic symbol: Ref gentle Stephen Fry: http://twitter.com/stephenfry
Fry’s Last Tweet? Actor ‘Retires’ From Twitter
5:16pm UK, Saturday October 31, 2009
Hazel Tyldesley, Sky News Online
The actor and writer, who suffers from bipolar disorder, wrote online: “I’m obviously not good enough. I retire from Twitter henceforward. Bye everyone.”
His tweet was directed to another Twitter user who had early described Fry’s input to the microblogging site as “a bit… boring”.
Fry went on to write: “Think I may have to give up on Twitter. Too much aggression and unkindness around. Pity. Well, it’s been fun.
He then added: “Well maybe I’ll see how I feel in a few days. Very low and depressed at the moment and any drop of meanness makes it so much worse. Sorry.”
The comedian is one of the most widely-followed users of the popular service, with over 920,000 people signed up to receive his regular updates.
In response to his threats to leave, they have bombarded him with tweets urging him to stay.
They range from constructive suggestions to gushing messages of adoration.
“Instead of leaving why not use your influence to raise awareness of how much cyber-bullying affects lives?” wrote one user.
Another tweeted: “Dearest Stephen-the fragility of the tender soul is what makes it so special like the wings of a butterfly – stay.”
Many more left suggestions for Fry about how to lift his mood – and said Twitter would be a poorer service without him.
Fry has spoken openly about his battle with mental illness and has campaigned for mental health charities.
He recently spoke out on behalf of another bipolar disorder sufferer facing execution in China, describing the “mood swings” that the condition caused.
See Tweets & Twits in Brussels – who & what are they discussing
Times – An Instant Mob: online retribution is swift
I heard this poem on Radio 4 just before the midnight news. It seemed apt.
“Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it’s mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life’s gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Tags: bi-polar, bipolar disorder, BlairSupporter, manic depression, solitude, Stephen Fry, Tony Blair, twitter
