Muireann O’Connell has called out the rising “toxicity” on social media, after being told she’s “not grieving properly”.
The Limerick native announced the death of her father Brendan last month, following his battle with cancer.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday night, the Virgin Media star admitted she’s received some awful messages on social media since her dad’s passing.
Muireann wrote: “A great and not super annoying thing that’s happened is women telling me what they consider a better book (thank you for the recommendations. Most don’t hold a candle) and men telling me the name of the movie I’m watching that I’ve clearly seen 1,000 times…”
“But THE BEST THING is the people who have decided to tell me that I’m not grieving properly; that I’m not doing death properly; that how I’m dealing with it is a disgrace.”
The 36-year-old continued: “You know you don’t have to have an opinion on everything. Also: please balls all the way off and don’t put your s**t on others.”
“You have no right to tell anyone how to behave. You are the actual worst.”
In another post, Muireann wrote: “We call these people ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ and say ignore. It’s not working.”
“There’s a bigger question. How are there people that are so angry and unhappy in this world that the only joy they get is to be utter gowls.”
“I don’t know what the answer is but we can’t keep going on like this. This toxicity on social media, combined with lockdown is turning people into utter a**eholes.”
“The lack of accountability on social media lets anyone away with being the worst sort of human.”
The broadcaster concluded her posts by adding: “Also, just one tiny thing, and this is just to help you out with friends: you don’t have to compare a parent dying with something else, especially if you’ve never had a parent die.”
“Just, don’t. Had a person say ‘my friend’s aunt just died, I totally get it’. I have never been so happy to be wearing a mask.”
“I was agog, then angry, then silently pissing myself. NOT. THE. SAME. THING.”
