‘Abusing is not cool’: Manu Bhaker’s social media post goes viral

NEW DELHI: Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker has urged young people to avoid using abusive language, saying that “using bad language is not cool” and that the words people use reflect their personality.The 23-year-old shooter, who won two medals at the Paris Olympics, shared a long message on X on Sunday. She did not mention any particular incident but spoke about the increasing use of abusive language in everyday conversations.

‘Choose your words wisely’

Bhaker said people should be careful about the words they use because they shape a person’s character over time.“The language we choose reflects our personality and the kind of person we are. Choose your words wisely, because over time, you become what you think, what you speak, and what you practice.”“Using bad language is not cool. Abusing is not cool,” she said.Bhaker also said that being “cool” has nothing to do with abusive language.“Let’s keep the definition of cool simple: being hardworking, kind, respectful towards others and yourself, striving to be successful through honesty, and making your parents and your country proud. That’s cool,” the Indian shooter said.Bhaker later explained why she decided to speak about the issue. She said abusive language has slowly become normalised, especially among youngsters.

“I’m speaking about this because, over the past few years, the way we perceive abusive language has changed. For many, using such words has become so normal that it’s even considered ‘cool’. Without realising it, people casually use degrading and disrespectful language in everyday conversations,” Bhaker said.Manu created history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-Independence era to win two medals at a single Olympic Games. She won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.