Gabbi Garcia: 'Words are powerful. Use them to uplift, not to destroy'

The recent passing of 19-year-old content creator Emman Atienza has sparked a wave of conversations online about the impact of cyberbullying and the importance of compassion on social media.

Among those who spoke out was actress Gabbi Garcia, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her sentiments about the issue.

“Throwing hate, bullying, trolling, and bashing online can cause a deep and lasting toll on a person. This will NEVER be okay,” Garcia wrote.

She emphasized that the effects of online negativity on a person’s mental health are real and often overlooked, noting that many individuals are already “silently struggling with personal battles we don’t see.”

“Anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and sometimes even irreversible decisions,” she added. “It’s time to break this cycle of hate.”

Garcia urged social media users to use their platforms to spread kindness and understanding instead of hate.

“Imagine if we used these platforms not to tear each other down, but to lift each other up, with compassion, empathy, and understanding… Words are powerful. Use them to uplift, not to destroy.”

On Friday, Kuya Kim Atienza confirmed the heartbreaking news of Emman’s unexpected passing.

Friends and followers described Emman as someone who “wasn’t afraid to share her own journey with mental health,” often using her platform to encourage openness and awareness among her audience.

Her final messages on her Instagram Broadcast Channel reportedly reflected the mounting pressures brought by social media and content creation — a topic she had spoken about candidly in the past.

Emman’s passing has reignited discussions about the growing mental health challenges faced by young people online and the urgent need to foster empathy and responsible communication in digital spaces.