The fine line

Sarah Taryam, Arts Editor

With pop stars come pop fans, and those fans have the potential to make or break anything that comes in their way. This week we are taking a look at fan armies of music stars and how they are becoming out of control.

Singer Demi Lovato has over 55 million followers on Twitter alone. When she nearly died from an overdose back in 2018, her friend Dani Vitale became the target of Lovato’s fans online receiving thousands of death threats a day. Demi spoke out about this on her documentary “Dancing With the Devil” and defended her friend explaining that fans can be “a little out of line sometimes.”

Last year a writer gave a mostly positive review of Taylor Swift’s album “Folklore.” The fans turned on this writer exposing her personal details and sending threats. When culture writer Rosyln Talusan spoke up in defence of critics and journalists, Ariana Grande’s fans went for her. The writer ended up receiving an apology from Grande for her fan’s behaviour.

While it is necessary for any celebrity to have fans, there is a fine line between supporting a star and turning vicious. The age of social media has enabled people to become trolls as they sit and spew hatred behind their screens. More celebrities need to speak up about this.

In other news this week, turn to our Health pages to read about five simple habits which will help you live longer. From decluttering your house to having a cold shower, these tips are quick and life changing.