Surviving Social Media - Lauren Mayberry and Kirsteen Harvey
Lauren Mayberry & Kirsteen Harvey speak with Be Charlotte on navigating social media, harassment, and mental health
What does it actually mean to put yourself out there as a musician in 2025? Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES) and Kirsteen Harvey discuss the reality of being publicly creative in an age where you're never really off - the comments don't stop, the scrutiny doesn't stop, and that constant visibility can take a toll on your mental health. Kirsteen shares her journey from zero to 100,000 TikTok followers in under two years, discussing the pressure to maintain consistency, the guilt of taking even a one-week break, and the challenge of separating yourself from your online persona. Lauren opens up about her experiences with cyber misogyny over more than a decade, including receiving death threats, rape threats, being turned into deep fake porn, and having to pay for enhanced home security. She discusses how she's learned to humanise trolls without excusing their behaviour, why happy people don't act like that, and the importance of finding balance between authenticity and self-protection. Both artists talk about the change we need to see and the impact of their experiences - both the good and the bad.
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⏱ CHAPTERS
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0:00 - Introduction
8:06 - The Reality of Online Growth
20:05 - Harassment and Safety
32:00 - Managing Mental Health Online
43:47 - Industry Changes Needed
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📚 RESOURCES
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Music Minds Matter - Mental health support: https://www.musicmindsmatter.org.uk
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⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING
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This episode contains detailed discussion of online abuse and trolling, misogyny and gender-based harassment which briefly mentions death threats, rape threats, and image based sexual abuse - the descriptions of these are limited but can be vivid. If you want to skip this section it is at 00:20:05-00:24:57. This episode also covers stalking, safety concerns, social media pressures and burn out, and the mental health impact of being constantly visible online including anxiety and dissociation. There is also some strong language at times. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and host and are intended for informational purposes only. They do not constitute professional mental health, legal, or financial advice.
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🎙 ABOUT THIS PODCAST
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Tiny Changes Big Podcast is a six-episode series exploring mental health, safety, and systemic challenges in the music industry, with particular focus on supporting young people entering the industry. This podcast was produced, hosted, and promoted by young people under 30.
Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinychanges
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tinychangescharity
Website: https://www.tinychanges.com
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🎵 CREDITS
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Host: Be Charlotte (@iambecharlotte)
Guests: Lauren Mayberry, Kirsteen Harvey
Music: Barry Jackson
Cover art: Berwyn Mure
Editing and technical production: Ross Sloan at Podplistic
Production: Kayla-Megan Burns and Nina Abeysriya
Post Production: Podplistic and Consultico
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#SocialMediaForMusicians #OnlineHarassment #ContentCreation #CyberMisogyny #DigitalWellbeing #ArtistBrand #OnlineSafety #MusicMarketing #TikTokForMusicians #ContentCreatorMentalHealth #CHVRCHES #MusicIndustry #MentalHealth #IndependentArtists #TinyChanges
What does it actually mean to put yourself out there as a musician in 2025? Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES) and Kirsteen Harvey discuss the reality of being publicly creative in an age where you're never really off - the comments don't stop, the scrutiny doesn't stop, and that constant visibility can take a toll on your mental health. Kirsteen shares her journey from zero to 100,000 TikTok followers in under two years, discussing the pressure to maintain consistency, the guilt of taking even a one-week break, and the challenge of separating yourself from your online persona. Lauren opens up about her experiences with cyber misogyny over more than a decade, including receiving death threats, rape threats, being turned into deep fake porn, and having to pay for enhanced home security. She discusses how she's learned to humanise trolls without excusing their behaviour, why happy people don't act like that, and the importance of finding balance between authenticity and self-protection. Both artists talk about the change we need to see and the impact of their experiences - both the good and the bad.
-----------------------------------------
⏱ CHAPTERS
-----------------------------------------
0:00 - Introduction
8:06 - The Reality of Online Growth
20:05 - Harassment and Safety
32:00 - Managing Mental Health Online
43:47 - Industry Changes Needed
-----------------------------------------
📚 RESOURCES
-----------------------------------------
Music Minds Matter - Mental health support: https://www.musicmindsmatter.org.uk
-----------------------------------------
⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING
-----------------------------------------
This episode contains detailed discussion of online abuse and trolling, misogyny and gender-based harassment which briefly mentions death threats, rape threats, and image based sexual abuse - the descriptions of these are limited but can be vivid. If you want to skip this section it is at 00:20:05-00:24:57. This episode also covers stalking, safety concerns, social media pressures and burn out, and the mental health impact of being constantly visible online including anxiety and dissociation. There is also some strong language at times. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and host and are intended for informational purposes only. They do not constitute professional mental health, legal, or financial advice.
-----------------------------------------
🎙 ABOUT THIS PODCAST
-----------------------------------------
Tiny Changes Big Podcast is a six-episode series exploring mental health, safety, and systemic challenges in the music industry, with particular focus on supporting young people entering the industry. This podcast was produced, hosted, and promoted by young people under 30.
Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinychanges
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tinychangescharity
Website: https://www.tinychanges.com
-----------------------------------------
🎵 CREDITS
-----------------------------------------
Host: Be Charlotte (@iambecharlotte)
Guests: Lauren Mayberry, Kirsteen Harvey
Music: Barry Jackson
Cover art: Berwyn Mure
Editing and technical production: Ross Sloan at Podplistic
Production: Kayla-Megan Burns and Nina Abeysriya
Post Production: Podplistic and Consultico
-----------------------------------------
#SocialMediaForMusicians #OnlineHarassment #ContentCreation #CyberMisogyny #DigitalWellbeing #ArtistBrand #OnlineSafety #MusicMarketing #TikTokForMusicians #ContentCreatorMentalHealth #CHVRCHES #MusicIndustry #MentalHealth #IndependentArtists #TinyChanges
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