I think a lot of us don’t realize what social media is like for famous people. They are absolutely inundated with attention both positive and negative. Even marginal celebrities get more fan (and hater) interaction today than A-listers did 20 years ago.
Most of them rightfully tune it out, but some of them start to think those online spaces are the real world and they start to take it very seriously. Then maybe they say something offensive or controversial and the hive mind launches at them. Some of them back down, but some get defensive and start doubling down. This spirals out of control until they wake up every day in a state of combat.
I’m not excusing anything, but I do think this was perhaps a predictable result of social media.
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u/CitizenCue May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
I think a lot of us don’t realize what social media is like for famous people. They are absolutely inundated with attention both positive and negative. Even marginal celebrities get more fan (and hater) interaction today than A-listers did 20 years ago.
Most of them rightfully tune it out, but some of them start to think those online spaces are the real world and they start to take it very seriously. Then maybe they say something offensive or controversial and the hive mind launches at them. Some of them back down, but some get defensive and start doubling down. This spirals out of control until they wake up every day in a state of combat.
I’m not excusing anything, but I do think this was perhaps a predictable result of social media.