Culture

Millie Bobby Brown Thinks "It's Gross" How Differently She Has Been Treated By The Press And Social Media Since She Turned 18

It's hard enough to go through your awkward teenage years under normal circumstances. It's even more difficult when you're in the public eye, something that "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown knows very well.

By Gina Florio1 min read
Millie Bobby Brown
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It's no secret that child stars are sexualized at a young age, even if the roles they play are entirely innocent. Millie Bobby Brown, who was only 12 when she started acting in Stranger Things, is yet another young actor who endured such treatment, so much so that there was even a countdown clock online that people were using in anticipation for her 18th birthday so they could speak about her sexually online. Since Millie turned 18, she said she's noticed a difference in the way she's being treated now that she's of legal age.

Millie Bobby Brown Said "It's Gross" How Differently She's Been Treated Since She Turned 18

On a podcast called Guilty Feminist, Millie opened up about the changes she has noticed since she came of age. “[I'm] definitely seeing a difference between the way people act and the way the press and social media react to me coming of age. It's gross.”

“I deal with the same things any 18 year old is dealing with, navigating being an adult and having relationships and friendships, and it’s all of those things,” she continued. “Being liked and trying to fit in, it's all a lot, and you’re trying to [know] yourself while doing that. The only difference is obviously I’m doing that in the public eye.”

Millie has already been criticized for wearing outfits that are "too grown up" even though she has already been oversexualized by the press and on social media. It just feels like it's a lose-lose situation for her. That's why she has decided to lay low for a while and avoid posting anything too personal on her social media pages.

“You’re not gonna see that part of me. You get to see the things I choose to put out in the world,” she said.

Millie has spoken up before on her Instagram about how difficult it is to have constant criticism and inappropriate comments thrown at her, and that was when she was only 16 years old. She is hopeful things will improve as she gets older, but in the meantime, she's going to protect herself.