Zendaya’s Amazing Advice For Dealing With Bullies

Zendaya has never been afraid to confidently speak her mind, so it comes as no surprise that she was willing to open up about a challenge many girls face — bullies. "I was made fun of but it didn’t bother me very much because I was very comfortable in who I was," the actress and singer told NEW YOU in their Spring issue. "I was taught as a young child by my parents and family to love myself. And it’s the same today — there are certain things that don’t bother me. I just focus on being a good person." The star continued, explaining that accepting and overcoming life's obstacles, like facing down bullies, is the first step in growing up. "I was always very aware of the world and I was never sheltered from the negative things that were out there," she said. "I feel that if you shelter your kids from everything, one day they are going to be out in the world on their own and they are going to have to figure it out. You can’t give them a test if you never taught them anything that’s on the test. They’re going to fail. You have to prepare people and sometimes that’s just being honest with them and letting them know things sooner." Zendaya was also named one of Time's Most Influential Teenagers of 2015. When asked about that honor, she said: "I want to promote to young people that it’s okay to be a good citizen. It’s okay to learn. It’s cool to be knowledgeable, to know what’s going on in your country and your world. To form opinions and to talk about it, have discussions and be respectful. I’m trying to make that the new cool." Smart is the new cool? We're into it.