The Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber has admitted in the media to taking drugs. Up until now, the image of this seventeen year old has been one of a clean living youngster who was deeply religious. Some of his fans have taken the news that he smokes pot particularly hard. There is even an online Twitter campaign for fans to cut their wrists in an attempt to convince Justin to stop using these substances. It seems that internet trolls created this horrific campaign but at least some fans seem to be taking this message seriously. There have been some who have posted images of their self-harm online, in protest to the admission by Bieber that he has smoked pot. The celebrity has so far not responded to this misguided action, but there is a real concern that one of the Beliebers (Justin Bieber Fan) will cause serious harm to themselves.
Influence of Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber has sold millions of records, and he is extremely popular on places like YouTube. Most of his fans are in their early teens, and in the past, he has been used as an example of positive role model. In 2012, Forbes Magazine named him the third most powerful celebrity in the world, and he has over 30 million followers on Twitter alone. It is teenage fans who have made Justin Bieber rich and famous, and they really look up to him. It is understandable that many will feel cheated and upset by his use of drugs.
Young people are easily influenced by their peers, and they look to role models for guidance. There is almost certainly going to be young teens out there that will see this as an endorsement for substance abuse by one of their heroes. Of course, it is unrealistic to expect celebrities to conform to the type of image that the media create for them, but this once again highlights the problems with celebrity. There is a history of putting young stars up there as role models for kids (remember Britney Spears) only to have these people later become party animals – poor examples for young teens to be using as a role model.
Teenage Substance Abuse
Teenage substance abuse can destroy lives even before they have really started. There is good evidence to suggest that the younger the person is when they start experimenting with these substances the more likely they are to develop an addiction later on. Alcohol and drugs are also more harmful to young people than they are to adults, and this is why they are illegal at this age. It is important for these young people to know that taking drugs is not a cool thing to do, and that it will not make them be more like their heroes. Parents and other responsible adults need to be reinforcing the message about the real dangers of this type of behaviour. Justin Bieber will soon be 18 and therefore more able to make choices as an adult – the problem is that many of the people who look to him as an example will not have reached this stage of development.
Update – Justin Bieber has issued a vague apology on Twitter to his fans over pictures that appear to show him smoking pot. He tweeted, “I see all of u. i hear all of u. i never want to let any of you down. i love u. and..thank u. #beliebers,”. Hopefully this will go some way to discouraging the protests – it seems to indicate that Bieber is not proud of his behaviour, and that is something that young fans will likely benefit from hearing.
