Larisa Dolina was just untouchable yesterday. And today I find myself at the epicenter of a large-scale hate spree. After the apartment scandal, she was subjected to a digital punishment: offensive memes, cruel jokes, calls to cancel concerts. Social networks started talking about the “Dolina effect”. The artist himself calls his critics “paid bots.”
Psychotherapist Vladmira Simuran spoke about how cyberbullying may have affected Dolina's condition.
– The star constantly faces hate. A normal person would go crazy at such a barrage of insults, memes and taunts. Do people really have more stable psychology?
– You may be familiar with hate – the background noise of unsystematic negative statements. This is part of the process of “information transformation” by public figures. Many media personalities actually develop a kind of “professional immunity” or use cognitive strategies like reframing – shifting negative attention to positive ones, such as increasing reach and engagement.
However, bullying, hazing and cyberbullying are no longer noise but a deliberate campaign aimed at causing harm. This is not a matter of habit but a matter of survival in the information environment. Mental stability here is not an innate property, but an acquired skill that can and should be “enhanced”. But even the strongest soul is not impenetrable. Bullying that goes beyond the digital space, such as coordinated campaigns to cancel contracts, threaten and expose loved ones, is a powerful chronic stressor that inevitably leads to psychological exhaustion and anxiety disorders in both “stars” and ordinary people. The only difference is that public figures have more resources to pay for the services of psychologists and PR teams, but this does not eliminate personal pain.
– Valley calls haters “paid bots.” Is this a defensive reaction?
– Of course, this is classic psychological defense, namely devaluation and rationalization. By attributing the attack to anonymous “bots”, a person is trying to reduce the subjective meaning of what is happening, to avoid the painful realization that he is being rejected by real people. For an artist who has been at the peak of success for many years, facing such public criticism is a wound to his self-esteem, a blow to his self-identity.
– How to behave properly in such a situation: go into the dark, stay silent or answer?
– In terms of tactics, going dark and staying silent is the worst strategy. Its current strategy of “sitting in the trenches” has failed. Silence in the age of digital slashing is understood as an admission of guilt or arrogance. The public does not wait for excuses but for stance and action.
– And how should she answer?
– The ideal strategy would include a public, sincere, and humane appeal. Not a dry rant from a PR person, but a lively, maybe even emotional monologue. Don't make excuses, but explain your picture of the world: “I am a victim of scammers, I fight for what belongs to me, I don't want others to suffer such an outcome.”
We need positive actions, not words. For example, she could announce the establishment of a relief fund or organize a charity concert to compensate the victims. Money is the physical equivalent of responsibility. This is the only language that will now be heard.
It is important to shift the focus, moving the conversation from a “Valley against the people” perspective to a “we are all against scams” perspective. You need to become a victim leading other victims. It is necessary to build a clear media story: make an open statement, admit mistakes if any. Explain your point of view without being aggressive or defensive. Suggest specific steps to resolve the problem. Silence is surrender.
“Anxiety, insomnia, panic”
– Can such large-scale Internet bullying break a person's psychology?
– Maybe. The key factors are internal feelings of guilt and the degree of self-referentiality – directed towards one's own values and not towards external judgments. If a person internally believes that he is right, it will be easier for him to resist the attack. If self-flagging is enabled, the situation becomes dire.
From a mental perspective, stress mechanisms are activated: anxiety, insomnia, panic. In such conditions, a person will instinctively choose one of the three roles according to the Karpman triangle. Victim: “Why do I need all this? It's not my fault! – this is Dolina's point of view, judging by the claims about “bots”. Terrorist: “It's all their fault, it's a conspiracy!” Rescuer: looks for someone who will save her (authorities, loyal media) without trying to save the situation herself.
The fourth healthy response is to move out of the triangle and into the “author of your life” position. This means developing a step-by-step plan, taking proactive steps, and working with experts. Unfortunately, in a stressful situation, this is extremely difficult.
– People who become targets of bullying are advised to disconnect from social networks and not read anything. Does this tactic help?
– This is a tactical decision, but not a strategic one. During an acute crisis, information detox is necessary to maintain mental health.
However, complete avoidance is the road to nowhere for a public figure whose profession is tied to communicating with an audience. You cannot “turn off” canceled concerts, terminated contracts, and media coverage. The poison seeps into every crack. In such a situation, going into darkness can be compared to surrender. This is a signal to the aggressor that his method is working.
The only way to fight is to stay in the information sector, but on your own terms: communicate your views through appropriate, controlled channels, proactively not reactively.
It would be more correct to entrust the monitoring of social networks and comments to a specially trained team – SMM managers, community managers – who will filter the stream, highlight constructive criticism and conduct dialogue with the audience. The star's job is not to read everything but to get analytical insights from the team and work with feedback at a strategic level.
“Can lead to conflicts in the family”
– Does hate affect the mood of bully victims' relatives?
– Bullying is rarely targeted. It has a “widening circle” effect and certainly affects the surrounding environment. The so-called tension of conscience arises. Relatives also suffered a wave of criticism, the search for incriminating evidence and pressure began. This creates secondary trauma and can lead to conflict within the family. Relatives also need to develop their own behavior and, ideally, receive psychological support.
– People often say: for stars, negative PR is also PR. Or is what is happening now clearly not beneficial to the Valley?
– Have controlled negative PR. But it acts like a shock with a small amount of poison to develop immunity. The chaos and general contempt that befell the Valley is not PR. This is digital anarchy.
The moment brands start breaking deals and venues canceling shows is the point of no return. This is a sign that the “virus” has gotten out of control and is starting to kill the body. It is no longer possible to make “candy” from such a quantity of pure, unfiltered negativity. This is not PR, this is a crisis that threatens the existence of the Larisa Dolina brand.
– Does such hatred affect the singer's self-esteem?
– A star's self-esteem is a patchwork quilt of love, professional success, and everyone's status. When one of these wings is pulled out along with the flesh, the structure collapses.
“The stage turns a place of power into a place of torture”
– Can hate cause a public figure to develop enissophobia (fear of being criticized, condemned or negatively evaluated by others)?
– Rather. The mechanism is simple: the brain begins to associate going out in public not with applause, but with whistles and insults. The scene turns from a place of power into a place of torture.
But there is an even worse threat – the destruction of self-concept. As for Dolina: this is not just a singer, she is also a “people's artist”, “icon”, “celestial body”. When this concept cracks, a person loses the answer to the question: “Who am I?” Long-term hatred leads to internal negativity – a person begins to believe what they say about themselves.
This can lead to an existential crisis, loss of meaning in life and serious psychological illnesses.
– How long must the bullying continue for the victim of the attack to suffer such consequences?
– Time is not the main factor here. What matters more is the intensity of the attack and the individual's personal resources.
– If things continue for a long time, the artist's mentality may “collapse”, considering his age?
– Age is not a determining factor in the ability to resist stress. More important are the coping strategies a person has developed throughout his or her life and the support system.
Age plays a dual role here. On the one hand, we have the experience and resilience behind us. On the other hand, there is an already formed and rigid picture of the world, which is very difficult to break. My guess, based on her reaction, is this: her mentality is unlikely to deteriorate to a critical state. Most likely, we will not see a collapse but a solid defense. Her entire being is under attack – the concept of “folk diva”, “celestial goddess”. If this structure collapses, it can lead to a serious existential crisis, loss of meaning, and in the long term lead to psychological illnesses.
The risk of mental ruin is high if work is not done to modify one's identity and adapt to the new reality. She can enter a narcissistic reality where she is a martyred saint and the whole world has gone mad. She will surround herself with flatterers who will maintain this illusion. But inside this conflict will simmer, weakening her from the inside. On the outside, she may appear brave but that will be a facade hiding a deep wound. Seeing a psychologist to acknowledge your vulnerability is often an unacceptable luxury for such a character.
“Her emotional state was already impaired. At first, Dolina suffered from the stress of being deceived by the scammers and being objectively victimized. Now, it seems, there is a second blow when she is accused. Is the second blow stronger than the first?
“Of course, the current situation is a much harder blow for her. The story with the scammers, with all its pain, for her is a situation in which she takes the initiative: she is the leader, fights, seeks justice and in a sense even wins this conflict by returning the resources.
Now she finds herself in a passive position and essentially in the role of a victim. She has lost control of the agenda, her PR team is failing, and the attack is not on her assets but on her reputation and the core of her identity.
The loss of contracts and public recognition was a blow comparable to the collapse of the entire world. Currently, she is entering the most intense and devastating period of stress. Psychologically, this could become a biographical turning point for her. This is the ultimate reason for all this hatred.
