J.K. Rowling opened up on the consequences of using social media amid recent news that she received death threats.
Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling Recalls Receiving Death Threats Online-‘I Try To Behave’
The Harry Potter author got herself involved in some controversy when she tweeted her support for Salman Rushdie in the aftermath of his stabbing attack this month.
And given that Salman Rushdie was such a controversial figure after having released his book ‘The Satanic Verses,’ which did offend a subset of the Muslim population, Rowling was always playing a dangerous game by getting herself involved in such a conversation.
As a consequence, a Twitter user by the name of Asif Aziz had reportedly said the following: “Don’t worry you are next.” This was simply because Rowling had allegedly described the stabbing as “horrifying news.” Subsequently, the authorities got involved as they wanted to track down the person responsible for this.
And yet, it appears that Rowling has become familiar with death threats over time. In her comments, she said: “I try to behave online as I would like others to behave. I’ve never threatened anyone. I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to go to their houses or anything like that.”
Nevertheless, the use of social media is not all doom and gloom. It provides people an opportunity to exchange their views and get close to their fans.
Although that is something that needs to be managed against the negative consequences such as receiving backlash, the fact of the matter is that Rowling does love to engage with people about her views. Her following comments confirmed as much: “[I enjoy the] pub argument aspect. That can be a fun thing to do.”
The fans on social media praised Rowling for her courage. A certain subset of people lauded the author on the basis that she was willing to express her views even if it did generate backlash. One person wrote: “Love her backbone!”
Perhaps it is this bravery that led to Rowling becoming one of the most successful authors. So there you have it folks. What did you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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