The year started off with a shocking video of Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet that revealed their relationship. We moved into the fall with news of Taylor Swift’s new relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The year is now coming to a close with the knowledge that the new lovers will be spending her break from tour together. It’s safe to say that celebrity relationships have been and will always be the talk of the town.
Between tabloids and entertainment news shows, celebrity gossip has always appealed to people. Social media has transformed both the delivery and content of this gossip, though. Now, “normal” people can also share their analyses and impressions of celebrity relationships. Literally every other post I see on any given social media has someone giving their opinion on Taylor and Travis’ relationship.
While Taylor and Travis still appear to be in this perfect honeymoon phase, everything might not be as it seems … Inside information about the recent scandals on your For You page will change your entire perspective on the issue! Let’s review all of these said scandals:
Okay, I kinda got you there. I don’t have any new inside information or know anything about the inner workings of these celebrity relationships, but isn’t that the point? The sole fact that you clicked on this article shows that you’re at least mildly interested in TikTok drama. Not to say that’s anything to be ashamed about, I’m just as invested in Taylor and Travis; everyone likes gossip, but at some point it can become unhealthy.
Social media has also expanded the definition of celebrity gossip. Videos focus on more than just big name stars. Between Ruby Franke’s arrest and sexual assault allegations against a certain “van life” TikToker, there’s also been a lot of influencer drama on the internet. Franke, a family vlogger recently arrested for child endangerment, was a hot topic on my For You page. Everyone wanted to put in their two cents. This is exactly why the drama is everywhere you turn: Everyone wants to share their opinion.
This last week, my entire For You page has just been “Matt Rife” and “this person got a BBL…why would she ever do it.” And it’s super unhealthy. I found that every time I opened TikTok, all I saw was hate. Every other video said something negative about some celebrity or TikToker, and I was invested in all of it. While nothing could ever compel me to comment under someone’s video to say something hateful, that isn’t the case for a lot of people.
The drama videos cause an immediate reaction, with a storm of people running to the comments section. This tends to start a hate train, where people dislike someone just to fit in. This is just basic human conformity, and it’s natural to want to like and hate the same things as everyone else. But, this is also exactly why there is so much hate.
And the hate doesn’t just stop with a few mean comments, cancel culture thrives on this obsessive, reactionary drama content. As you’re preparing to engage with the hate train, ask yourself: What about the subjects of all of our comment rants?
It’s totally okay to hold people accountable for terrible things, but hating for no reason isn’t, and neither is ruining anyone’s career when it’s not deserved. It’s one thing to do something horrible and continue that behavior, but it’s another to be genuinely apologetic and educate yourself. Canceling someone who said something crazy 10 years ago or someone who genuinely understands the consequences of their actions is really counter-productive. If a person is just being attacked from all sides, they can begin to see education as a negative thing and will never change.
It’s not anyone’s job to educate someone, and it isn’t their job to attack them either. Celebrities are real people, too, as hard as it might be to believe. Hearing everyone on the internet’s opinion on your relationship is unhealthy and leads to the end of many public relationships.
For example, popular Twitch streamer Jynxzi and another streamer named Kassie recently started very publicly flirting. They both had to end things, though, when Kassie started receiving so many negative comments and DMs.
This backlash can lead to horrible mental health consequences for anyone on the internet, whether they actually did something wrong or are getting pointless backlash. Education and the opportunity to improve should always come first.
Aside from those directly targeted by TikTok drama videos, it can be exhausting as a social media user to constantly see this content. I miss the whipped coffee and early “get ready with me” TikToks.
So, what’s the solution from a viewer standpoint?
One day, I decided to click “not interested” on every video about drama on my For You page until it was all gone. It took about two full weeks of this purging as the videos started to get more and more spaced out until all of my content was back to normal.
Let me tell you, I am much happier with my Taylor Swift, cooking, and college life creators than those drama pages. Seeing constant negativity just isn’t good for anyone. It puts people in a negative mental space that just runs throughout their minds all day.
By removing yourself from this drama, you can remove negativity and go back to content that inspires you and that you actually enjoy. Keeping all this celeb drama away is so much better for everyone. Don’t worry about how that conversation went between Stormi and Timothee Chalamet (I know we’re all curious).
Negativity truly is contagious, and while it’s easier to discern the negative energy in face-to-face interactions, it can blend in on your phone. Before you know it, your entire For You page is filled with the videos. So, I encourage you to click “not interested,” just for a week, and see how it makes you feel.