Lena Dunham drops all kinds of social media/life wisdom in new Harper’s Bazaar interview
Lena Dunham is a busy bee. In the last five years (doesn’t it seem like longer?) she’s put out her debut film Tiny Furniture, whipped up four seasons of Girls and written a memoir. And now, she’s gracing our inbox with the seriously insightful and inspiring Lenny Letter. Lena’s fame has been fast and furious, but there’s a method to her madness. She takes advantage of every opportunity she’s given—because who knows which will be her last?
“I think women, when they’re given an opportunity are so afraid it’s going to disappear,” the almost-30-something told Harper’s Bazaar. “That was my 20s. I was like, ‘This may never strike again. I’m a kind of weird-looking girl, with a very specific voice, and the fact that I get to have a job is insane.’ I’m just as excited for my experience and my age to catch up with each other.”
That’s a pretty mature thought, and it makes total sense. It’s a philosophy that’s gotten her far in a short amount of time. Lena’s experiencing wild success, and she’s embracing and appreciating it to the fullest. But she’s savvy enough to know that success looks different at every age—and that it might not always be what it is now.
“I don’t want to be precocious,” she continues. “I just want to be a person who’s in my life.”
Whoa. That’s deep. Lena is blowing our minds with these nuggets of wisdom, but this one—her thoughts on social media—is extra important.
“Celebrities can complain all they want about how cruel Twitter is, but we signed up for it. Who didn’t sign up for it are the teenage girls who bully each other to suicide using Twitter,” she explains. “There’s no shortage of stories of how Twitter and Instagram and Facebook, these incredible tools for self-expression, have also led to girls feeling ostracized, alone, slut-shamed. We just want to restore some semblance of safety.”
So, in the present, while Lena is just existing as “a person who’s in [her] life,” what does she want to accomplish? After all, she’s heralded by many as the voice of her generation, and as Uncle Ben said, with great power comes great responsibility.
“[I want] to spread positivity. I know I’m not most moms’ idea of a role model, but I try to use the attention that comes with that wisely and not foolishly,” she said. “Yes, I will tweet about my issues with underpants, but I also want to say things that matter. I don’t want to be out on the town spreading messages I can’t get behind.”
Lena is wise beyond her years, though she’s in no hurry to grow up.
“I feel like the part of my life where I rock out hasn’t even started yet.”
Related:
Important reading- Lena Dunham interviews Gloria Steinem
Lena Dunham has a new show coming to HBO
Featured image via Twitter
