For Jasmine Curtis-Smith, social media can be such a ‘harsh world’

Jasmine Curtis-Smith

There were times in the past when all the negativity in social media just became too much for Jasmine Curtis-Smith to bear and drove her to tears.

Social media can be such a “harsh world”—one that could easily magnify one’s insecurities, Jasmine said.

“It’s so easy to be cruel in social media, and it could easily get you down. Sometimes, you just want to go online and see funny videos . . . Instead, you encounter bullies,” she said. “My first Instagram post to get 500 comments, in fact, teemed with bashers. After that, my insecurities grew, and I started to doubt myself.”

“I used to be too sensitive about it—at times, to the point of crying,” the 24-year-old actress told the Inquirer at a recent press conference for GMA 7’s upcoming primetime soap, “Pamilya Roces,” which began airing last Monday.

Jasmine continues to get her share of callous comments on the internet, including persistent body-shaming insults from  netizens who find her “too thin” these days.

The difference now, however, is that she finally knows exactly how to deal with it.

“When you gain weight, you’re at fault. When you lose weight, you’re still at fault. Where do I put myself? Back then, I would have probably replied to them because I used to be defensive. Now I know that there’s no point,” she related. “I have learned that if you stop entertaining these people, they would stop, too.”

And it doesn’t hurt “to put away your phone once in a while,” the award-winning young artist said.

But more than anything else, what truly helped her was—as clichéd as it might sound—loving herself more. “I must admit that I didn’t love myself enough. Sometimes, I would go out of the house or attend an event all styled or made-up, but I would still feel inadequate,” she said.

“I have learned that you need not rely on other people’s affirmation or opinion,” she added. “You must strive to know yourself well. Make sure you stand your ground. This year, I feel like I have become stronger.”

“Pamilya Roces”—a comedy-drama about a wealthy businessman whose sudden illness inadvertently exposed that he has been maintaining three families—is Jasmine’s first project as a Kapuso talent.

She signed a two-year contract with GMA 7 earlier this year, after her contract with TV5 expired in 2016.

She revealed that her sister Anne Curtis tried to persuade her to join ABS-CBN, whose offer Jasmine turned down.

“Anne was actually convincing me to go to ABS-CBN, because she wanted to be with me. Of course, being with the same network meant being together often and having opportunities to work with each other in shows, or other projects,” she said, adding that her sister’s opinion mattered to her as someone who has been in the industry longer.

However, Jasmine opted to join the Kapuso network, which she said, had been more “consistent,” “persistent” and “patient” in trying to get her.

“I took a break from doing television work in 2016, but they waited for me,” she pointed out. “I also think that the nature of my work is more in line with GMA 7.”