Kevin Smith highlights abuse experienced by teenage daughter Harley Quinn Smith

'If you hate me (or my kid) this much, the better use of your time is to make YOUR dreams come true'

Kevin Smith and daughter Harley Quinn Smith ( Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

Those in the public eye are painfully aware that trolls come with the territory on social media. But what is becoming increasingly concerning is the way their children are also becoming targets.

Kevin Smith has highlighted misogynistic trolling directed at his teenage daughter Harley Quinn Smith in a Facebook post which began: "What it's like to be my daughter" with a screenshot of a particularly vitriolic comment from one user.

The actor addressed the abuse in a post urging those attacking his daughter out of jealousy to redirect their efforts on exacting the “best revenge” by living well.

Addressing the comment directly, he wrote: "Here's a nickel's worth of free advice: if you hate me (or my kid) this much, the better use of your time is to make YOUR dreams come true, instead of slamming others for doing the same. The best revenge is living insanely well - so if you wanna get back at a 17-year-old girl for the grievous crime of enjoying her life, the best way to do it is to succeed in your OWN existence.

“Because randomly attacking others merely communicates how creatively and emotionally bankrupt you are. You think you have something to offer the world but others are getting all the attention? Don't b***h or punish the world: just create.

“Create something nobody's ever seen before and there is a good chance the world will notice you. You want attention? Don't make yourself mad, make something original and fun. Because if you're not being useful in this world you're being useless. Don't be useless: go make stuff that makes people happy.”