Millie Bobby Brown Says Bullies In School & Online Pushed Her To Activism

Actress Millie Bobby Brown recently opened up about an issue that is close to her heart — bullying — and how that lead her to become an activist.

In an interview with actor Orlando Bloom for the British edition of Glamour, Brown, 15, said she became an activist due to bullying that she had received at school and on social media. Because she knows what it feels like to be on the other end of that kind of hate, the young actress said it was important to her to speak out against it.

Brown admitted she actually changed schools because of the bullying.

“It created a lot of anxiety and issues that I still deal with today. I have dealt with situations both in real life and online that are soul breaking and it genuinely hurts reading some of the things people have said.”

Because of her passion for this issue, UNICEF chose her as their youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassadors.

When accepting the honor on World Children’s Day, the Stranger Things actress said it was a dream come true.

“I will speak out for the millions of children whose voices have been silenced … I will shine a light on the issues that vulnerable children have suffered around the world,” she said, per Glamour.

When asked what she would like to accomplish in her role as an ambassador, Brown explained that there were many things she had in mind. The Emmy-nominated actress said she would like to help protect children from violence and exploitation.

“I also want to combat the negativity on social media – I have experienced it – it’s like a disease. It’s negative hate that is genuinely so horrifying to me,” she said.

She also said that since she has experienced so much negativity, she has learned to appreciate love more.

When asked about social media, she said it often counteracts itself because it can be used for so much good, and yet it can be infested with so much hate, adding that she wanted to make social media a happy place.

As for Stranger Things, which will be available on Netflix in July, Brown said while she couldn’t say much about the new season, she could say that working on the series has been one of the most important things in her life, adding that she even shaved her head for it. Brown said the character of Eleven inspired her because of her loyalty, strength, and resilience.