US First Lady Melania Trump has called for adults to "take the lead" to encourage children to develop "positive habits with social media and technology".
US First Lady Melania Trump. Photo: AFP
Delivering a speech about the challenges faced by children, Mrs Trump called on adults to promote values of "encouragement, kindness, compassion, and respect" online.
However, many took to social media to question the extent to which her husband, President Donald Trump, adheres to these principles in his own interactions online.
President Trump has previously come under fire for using Twitter to launch personal attacks on people and share inflammatory content.
In light of her husband's Twitter habits, some people online characterised the first lady's comments as "ironic", while others suggested Mrs Trump is in denial.
People commented that Mrs Trump should aim to reform the president's social media behaviour before focusing her efforts on American children.
While the vast majority of reaction was mocking, some people received Mrs Trump's words more warmly.
This is not the first time that Mrs Trump, who set out combating cyber-bullying as a key priority in 2017, has been ridiculed for attempting to highlight the issues of online safety and ethics.
Lauren Hogg, who survived the recent shooting at a school in Florida, called on the first lady to "have a convo" with her stepson Donald Trump Jr. who liked social media posts accusing Lauren's brother David of being an FBI stooge.
While much of the reaction to Mrs Trump's speech focused on the Twitter habits of her family, the first lady has also previously been criticised for her social media usage.
In December, Mrs Trump came under fire for posting a selfie with a Snapchat filter showing her wearing a Santa hat and reindeers floating around her head. While some complimented her, others felt the image was unbecoming of a first lady.
- BBC