The Menace Of Cyberbullying On Celebrities

Celebrity lifestyle can sometimes be challenging, especially as celebrities often contend with negative reactions from millions of fans and followers due to their personal decisions and public opinion.

Cyberbullying is a faceless form of assault that takes place using electronic technology (cell phones, computers, and tablets, as well as communication tools, including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites).

Nowadays, it is common to see negative comments, abuses, curses, or threats issued by unknown people to celebrities or average individuals on their private social media accounts.

Case Of Celebrity Cyberbullying

Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, who got married to his colleague, Judy Austin, in 2022, became an object of cyberbullying as fans attacked him after his first wife of 16 years, May Edochie, denied knowledge of the union.

Nigerians took to social media to criticize Yul, alleging that Judy was responsible for the crash of the former’s union with May.

Despite the series of cyberbullying to date, Yul has remained silent on the issues that prompted his second marriage or scapegoat anyone for bullying him online.

However, this is unlike Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, who arrested an X user who allegedly bullied her over support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The X user’s arrest created a buzz online as netizens demanded his release and threatened to cancel Toyin from the movie industry.

Toyin succumbed to the public outrage and requested the release of the X user, stating that henceforth, the law will have its due cause on anyone who bullies her online.

Celebrities And Fake Social Media Account

Many Nigerian celebrities have condemned the incessant attack on their personality by individuals who hide under social media keypads to harass, threaten, and embarrass them.

Surprisingly, fans and followers are not the only ones who engage in online bullying, as sometimes celebrities use fake accounts on social media to fight their colleagues whenever they have issues.

Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on the mental, career and physical well-being of the victims, such as depression, low self-esteem and even suicide.

Cyberbullying Is Unacceptable

In an interview with Naija News, Nollywood actor, Yomi Fabiyi noted that cyberbullying is a serious crime even though people have the freedom of expression.

He said, “Cyberbullying is a serious crime and unacceptable. We might differ in ways and have different ways or opinions, but we all should unite and agree on this particular one that cyberbullying is intolerable and should not be condoned. However, we should not mistake or misconstrue that there is freedom of expression. When you cyber bully, it is a deliberate attempt to spread falsehood in order to destroy someone, and it has an intention of criminality.

“We should understand that we are in the social media age, and there is always a notion that whatever I say will probably reach the celebrity in question, so people are propelled to express themselves positively or negatively on things they know the truth or don’t know the truth about or things that know that will probably hurt the celebrity or not.

“If it is a genuine expression or constructive criticism promoting natural anger, it is understandable; of course, celebrities may not respond to everyone, but people must understand that while they have the right to express themselves, some things might not turn out to be crimes but might turn out to hurt the celebrity. Wishful thinking is not a crime, it is a bad thing and unacceptable.”

On the right step in dealing with cyberbullying, Yomi said, “As a matter of fact, celebrities cannot go after everyone who cyberbullied them. They can only scapegoat with one or two so that people will understand that it is not just celebrity that will feel bad when it is done to other people at the point that they want to commit suicide. Cyberbullying does not only drain the blood, it gives the victim PTSD. It is always an act that goes with devilish intentions.

“If you have a legitimate ground for calling me out, it is not cyberbullying, it is impossible to say you are a public figure, and they should not call you out, but we must understand that freedom of expression or activism is not abusing leaders. when the action is not a crime, it will be wrong for a celebrity to use his/her influence to coerce the police or court to punish someone because they did what I don’t like. That is pure evil, anti-social, criminal and unacceptable.”

Speaking on the issue of scapegoating someone to serve as a deterrent to others, Yomi Fabiyi added, “Scapegoating depends on the gravity of the allegation. People assume that any attack on celebrity is cyberbullying but some might just be defamation of character which is a civil suit. It is going to be pure evil and classless to hid behind the charges of cyberbullying to drag every act that does not please us into cyberbullying. It is not everything that you will answer to, there are several things that have been said about me on social media, that are not correct, how many people will I drag to court.

“When you are bullied and you respond, before filing a suit or reporting to the police then there is no more case because you have already put laws in your hands, but we have terrible bad eggs in the police and court system.”

In conclusion, cyberbullying is an invisible tormentor which can be prevented through awareness to help bullies learn about appropriate internet behaviour.