As a public figure, you’re bound to have a platform. And whether you want to use it for good — or not — is ultimately your choice. Actress and advocate Katherine Langford, however, is dedicated to it.
“Mental health is something that I’ve advocated for for a number of years — it’s something that I care about deeply, and it’s something that I hear a lot about from fans and people all over the world,” Langford tells Her Campus. “I definitely don’t take it for granted that I have a platform to be able to speak on issues like that.”
Known for her roles in Thirteen Reasons Why, Langford is a Golden Globe-nominated actress who has gone on to star in films like Love, Simon and Knives Out. Recently, in early October, Langford walked the runway for L’Oreal Paris Fashion Show at Paris Fashion Week.
And now, with L’Oreal Paris and Stand Up To Street Harassment, Langford is taking her advocacy to the masses with a collaboration created to push back against bullying. But more on that in a bit.
If you’re unaware, Langford’s career erupted when she was cast as Hannah Baker in the Netflix series, Thirteen Reasons Why. Langford’s portrayal of Baker — a teenage girl who, after experiencing extreme bullying and harassment, takes her own life — was lauded for depicting mental health struggles in a real and honest way. Since then, Langford has used her platform to educate others about the impact of bullying, and how we can stand up against it.
“Anyone at any age can experience bullying,” Langford says. “However, bullying is most prevalent around young adults and particularly affects young women. Everyone has their own journey and their own personal experiences with bullying. Whether you’ve been victim to it, whether you’ve witnessed it, I think that we’ve all experienced different versions of it.”
Despite her position as a public figure, Langford has been candid about her experiences with bullying — whether that’s experiencing it firsthand or watching it happen. And, when you’re standing up to bullying, Langford knows that it’s not exactly the easiest task.
“I know at times for myself, whether it’s standing up for yourself or standing up for others, sometimes you look back on the situation and you wish that you had had a better way of doing it,” Langford says. “I think that it’s something that we can all be better at.”
That’s why, in her collaboration with L’Oreal Paris and Stand Up To Street Harassment, Langford is providing us with education and tools that teach us how to stand up for ourselves, and each other, better.
L’Oreal Paris and Stand Up To Street Harassment teamed up to create a specialized online training (developed by Right To Be) on 5D methodology. This covers bullying intervention in five steps: direct, delegate, delay, distract, and document. And when standing up against bullying, it’s something Langford uses to her advantage.
“Over half of bullying instances stop when someone intervenes,” Langford says. “Per the 5D methodology developed by Right to Be, the first step is to distract. It’s to interrupt and de-escalate the situation. It could be by asking a question, it could be anything, really.”
But, to Langford, advocating against harassment is more than just standing up to a bully. It’s about taking care of yourself first, and building up the confidence it takes to stand up for yourself. And whether that’s adding an extra step to your skincare routine, logging off of social media, or even spending time with friends and family, Langford believes that taking care of yourself is paramount.
“I think looking after your mental health is different for everyone and self-care is different for everyone,” Langford says. “I find being surrounded by people I love is such an important aspect of keeping balance. Self-care is really, I think, finding what you need and being able to give that to yourself.”
Whether you’re standing up to bullying when you see it or taking time for self-care, the most important part of advocating for yourself is taking action to do so. In Langford’s words, “It’s about taking that first step, standing up for yourself, and standing up for those around you.” Now that’s how you use a platform.