Melania Trump says she is 'well aware people are skeptical’ about her cyber bullying campaign

She is married to Donald Trump

Melania Trump hosts a roundtable discussion with tech leaders on the effects of the Internet on children (Reuters)

Opening a meeting to discuss how technology affects young people, First Lady Melania Trump acknowledged the incredulous reactions when she announced she would highlight cyber bullying.

“I am well aware that people are skeptical of me discussing the topic”, Ms Trump said during a White House meeting with technology executives.

Given her husband’s fondness for publicly belittling foes and doling out derisive nicknames, Ms Trump’s decision to focus on combatting bullying raised ample eyebrows.

She has spotlighted online abuse in particular, saying young people are especially vulnerable when they log into their social media accounts.

“In my role as first lady, I receive many letters from children who have been bullied or feel threatened on social media,” she said.

Critics have suggested her campaign could start with addressing Donald Trump’s propensity for blistering tweets, often issued in the early morning hours, in which he savages everyone from Democrats to professional football players to members of his own administration.

But Ms Trump said she would not let the detractors deter her.

“I have been criticised for my commitment to tackling this issue and I know that will continue, but it will not stop me from doing what I know is right. I am here with one goal: helping children and our next generation,” said FLOTUS.

The First Lady brought together a meeting of technology industry executives representing heavyweight companies like Twitter, Amazon and Facebook.

Among the initiatives they floated were efforts to teach online literacy and use artificial intelligence to disseminate information on bullying.