Photo credit: Condé Nast via Vogue Taiwan/CC 3.0
Doja Kat has deactivated her Instagram account, telling her followers she’s ‘not really feeling this anymore’, citing ‘f-ed up ideas’ over criticism she’s received on the platform.
Pop and rap star Doja Kat told her fans over the weekend that she had “f-ed-up thoughts” over “the way I’ve been talked to and treated here” in a now-deleted post on her Instagram. will deactivate the account. Her account, which had 28 million followers, has now been deactivated.
“Hey I’m going to go inactive because I’m not really feeling this anymore,” Doja Kate wrote on Saturday. “You guys take care. I love coming here to find inspo and see people being creative but I feel (like) this is getting too much. The way I’m being talked to and treated here It elevates my thoughts. Please watch how you talk to and about people on the internet. Bye.”
The 28-year-old has seen extraordinary controversy with denizens of the internet, having used the slur in 2018 to reference rappers Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt.
First, she defended her use of the slur before later apologizing. In 2020, she was criticized for calling Covid-19 “just a flu”. Two years later, she argued on social media with fans in Paraguay after canceling a performance and meet-and-greet, tweeting that she would quit music over the criticism.
Conversely, part of Doja Cat’s brand appeal comes from her candid interactions with her fans on social media, and only time will tell if her decision to leave Instagram is a lasting one. Still, the negativity she cites is a bit surprising — even without her history of social media drama.
According to the American Psychological Association, Instagram has been linked in studies to body image concerns, depression, self-esteem issues, social anxiety and many other harmful mental health effects. A former engineer at Instagram’s parent company Meta spoke before Congress in 2021, claiming that executives were aware of Instagram’s harmful effects, but “chose not to make any meaningful changes.”
