One Direction NDA is an initiative within the One Direction fandom that aims to create a safe environment for fans to be themselves. It’s run by fans, for fans and proves every day to be helpful in giving people the strength and freedom to support Liam, Harry, Louis, and Niall with positivity and love.
Not only can you reach out to One Direction NDA via their Twitter and Tumblr if you need help or a safe place to report bullying/unkindness; they also keep up with charity projects by the lads and for them and promote them daily.
They’re truly a go-to site if you’re a fan of Niall, Louis, Harry, and Liam.
Five months ago, via a Tumblr post, One Direction NDA explained a bit about who they are and what they hope to continue achieving while the boys are on a hiatus and once they return. Their message is a simple one, but one that unfortunately still needs explaining and support to become solidified – they want the One Direction fandom to be a place where people can express themselves freely and feel secure when they do it.
One Direction NDA won the Extra Smile award in 2015 from the CyberSmile Foundation and there they told the story of how they came together and what inspires them to keep pushing forward to make fans feel protected.
Bullying, by definition, is unwanted or aggressive behavior among that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. While any type of bullying is unwarranted, social media bullying is the most demeaning because it adds a public humiliation factor. Bullying via social media just stands to show that it’s okay to berate someone because they share a different opinion than you.
Some people scoff and say online bullying stops existing the minute you sign out of social media, but the truth is, the words used against someone online stay with them long after they put their phone down or close out of tabs on a computer screen. The old rhyme we learned when we were young ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is, unfortunately, less true than we were led to believe.
Bullying can destroy a person from the inside out; starting with their confidence and ending with the light in their soul and while we wish that was an exaggeration – it’s not.
In the One Direction fandom, there are cases of bullying so severe that law enforcement has to step in, that officials on social media are contacted, and that people are so scared to post a tweet that they fall silent on what they believe in. One Direction NDA wants to change that, to make bullying obsolete.
In a day and age where it may seem easier to fight fire with fire, we stand with One Direction NDA and challenge you to spread kindness instead, and when you fall – acknowledge your mistakes and try again.
We’re all guilty of talking bad about someone when we know we shouldn’t, about judging someone without reason, and making harsh remarks out of anger – just because our behavior was less than shining once, doesn’t mean we have to continue down that path. We can choose to be better.
Luckily; Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall set an incredible example for the people who look up to them. They spread kindness, compassion, love and when they make slip ups of their own; they own up to them and move forward – learning something new each step of the way.
If you want to be part of a fan base that requires better of themselves and uses that to inspire others, please check out One Direction NDA and join the fans in adding their Twibbon to your Twitter icon.
As Harry Styles said simply;
‘Be nice to nice’
Wouldn’t life be better if we all lived that way?
Tweet us at @CelebMix and @CelebMix1D with ways you spread kindness and positivity in the fandom – you just may be featured in a future article!