Cyberbullying: Why Parents Should Monitor What Their Children Say on Celebrity Social Media Channels

Trash-talking celebrities on social media is still cyberbullying.

There, I said it.

I know that celebrities feel like they operate in a completely different orbit. Chances are that you will never meet these people you might be gossiping about. Tabloids have normalized making spectacles of these people’s lives. Social media outlets have made some celebrities their own worst enemies. But I’m not here to debate what celebrities may or may not have willingly agreed to subject themselves to. I’m here to tell you that we are in charge of how we behave online.

Lately, many articles have been published about the Selena Gomez/Hailey Bieber drama. Here’s the tea: Selena dated Justin; then Justin dated Hailey; then Selena dated Justin again; then Justin dated Hailey again and married her in 2018. Because of the constant back-and-forth (and the fact that Bieber proposed to his now-wife just two months after ending things with Gomez for the second time), fans and tabloids have been letting the supposed beef stew.

But what really matters is the response from “fans.”

Those who love Selena Gomez have shredded the Biebers online. And vice versa for those who love Justin and Hailey. To make matters worse, all three adults involved have made vague posts on their social media channels (not to mention written song lyrics) that many fans have interpreted as throwing shade.

But as I said, that isn’t what really matters.

Last week, Gomez took to Instagram begging for the TikTok discourse comparing her and Hailey Bieber to stop. She wrote:

“Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity. This isn’t what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”

Selena Gomez should not have to reach out to her fans to ask them not to threaten the life of another woman. Hailey Bieber should not have to ask her husband’s ex-girlfriend to act as her advocate against cyberbullying.

And remember, kids and teenagers aren’t the only culprits. In 2021, I reminded parents in an article about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez that indulging in celebrity gossip isn’t healthy (or biblical for that matter). But it’s still happening. When Plugged In’s review of 80 for Brady came out, our Facebook page was rife with negative comments about a few of the actresses (which were promptly removed).

Listen, we all have opinions. We all have strong feelings. And we should all be able to discuss and disagree—openly and politely—with what someone says or does. We do so on this very blog (and sometimes you take issue with us!) But it’s one thing to take issue with what someone does and another to take issue with who someone is. It’s one thing to discuss honest differences of opinion and another to hurl insults or, even worse, death threats.

We are all created in the image of God, and we should treat our fellow image-bearers with respect. Regardless of how you feel about a person, it’s never OK to speak so poorly of them. So parents (and aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, etc.), don’t give in to the drama. Remember that you need to demonstrate good online behaviors. And when in doubt, remember these words from Ephesians:

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29 [ESV]