Dubai influencer on surviving online hate: ‘Some spiteful comments still hurt’

Dubai: When Aishwarya Ajit began her journey as a Dubai-based content beauty and lifestyle creator over a decade ago, the internet was a far less forgiving place.

“I feel like the hate comments on what I wear have become a lot better than before,” says Aishwarya to Gulf News.

“When I started out, the negative comments were coming in fast. They used to come to my channel just to spew hate on how I look and what I wear.” Her body parts, her accent, and her way of life was fair play to her faceless, virtual warriors and morality police.

Aishwarya, who has over 71,000 followers on Instagam alone, is among a growing number of public figures in the UAE who have had to build resilience online. But that doesn’t mean the barbs don’t sting.

“Some comments still bite,” she admits. “I may appear bulletproof, but remember—not everything bounces off.”

Aishwarya’s comments come in the shadow of devastating headlines: the murder of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf in Pakistan.

Just a day after she posted a video celebrating her birthday, Sana was killed by a man who allegedly harassed her online and became violent when ignored. Graphic images of her lifeless body circulated on social media, followed by a barrage of victim-blaming comments celebrating her death.

Digital rights groups, according to a report on CNN, have called it a grim example of "digital vigilantism," where misogyny is amplified and normalised online, especially when women are perceived to be too visible or too confident.

“It’s hard not to connect the dots,” says Aishwarya. “The men who troll me often do it out of spite. The women, even if they disagree, tend to do it with more respect and, dare I say, some level of admiration.”

While cases as extreme as Sana’s remain rare in the UAE or beyond, influencers in the Gulf are not immune to online trolling.

Several surveys and studies conducted by UN and often find that sexist or misogynistic comments are a common form of online abuse experienced by women, with some even reporting threats of physical or sexual violence. According to UN women org website, 16 to 58 per cent of women and girls have been targeted by violence online.

Aishwarya is open about the aesthetic and cosmetic procedures she chooses to undergo—a topic that often attracts unsolicited judgment.

“I do a lot of procedures, but I get comments on that too. I gatekeep less now. I’ve learned to own it.”

But there are limits. She recalls slapping a lawsuit on someone who created a fake hate page targeting her—proof that even digital hate can demand real-world consequences.

“Once, someone went to the extent of creating an ‘I hate Aishwarya’ page,” she says. “I chose to take legal action.”

As influencers increasingly take center stage in digital culture, their vulnerability grows too—especially women.

Aishwarya’s message is simple but powerful: "You can be confident and visible—but that doesn’t mean you deserve the hate. No one does."

While Aishwarya Ajit has the means and awareness to shut down abuse, many others don’t. For women like Sana Yousaf, online spaces turned deadly. In a world where likes and comments dictate influence, influencers—especially young women—are still navigating how to be seen without being targeted. And that, as Aishwarya makes clear, is a balancing act no one should have to master alone.