Driven by Hate: The Cruel Reality of Our Viral World

“I wasn't hidin' my kid from the world, I was hidin' the world from my kid,” Drake.

In 2024, dare did I think I would be quoting a Drake lyric. I mean, he’s had a year. In his hit song Emotionless, he addresses his approach to introducing his kid to the world, addressing the world of hate that exists online. Are we driven by hate?

Everywhere you look, it feels as if someone else is trying to become an influencer—posting pictures of their experiences, travels, and moments. They are cultivating a community where people come to love and share in their experiences. Rarely does it only attract love; rather, it attracts hate.

As social media posts become more viral, the safety and security that existed amongst your community disappear as the world begins to comment. With so many influencers, celebrities, and public figures expressing time and time again the hate they have encountered, why do we aspire to be in their situation?

Many would say fame and the utility that fame provides in creating opportunities. However, when we look at the lives of many individuals consumed by fame, we see them turning to drugs, alcohol, and other guilty pleasures to cope with its unnaturalness.

The recent Diddy case particularly highlighted the dark sides of fame and power. Kendrick Lamar hinted at the immorality in the industry. Yet, fame continues to be framed as something to aspire to and create.

We are officially at the point where people are actively willing to disenfranchise groups for fame. There should always be room for discourse and free speech, regardless of whether or not we agree with what is being said. But we have to highlight that social media is driving people to actively hate and persecute others to mobilize their own platforms.

Once, these platforms were meant to keep us updated on family and friends. Now, they keep us fighting imaginary battles with people we’ve never met. They actively aim to strip people of their dignity, cause pain, and deny positive discourse—all to be liked, to be viral for a moment.

Though traditional fame is slowly starting to fade as we move into a world of micro-influencers, we must ask everyone to utilize their platforms for positive discourse. We need platforms where diversity of thoughts and ideas is welcomed, where people do not attack each other but engage with the arguments at hand.

As a kid growing up in this world, I resonate with having to be hidden from the cruel world out there. It feels as if hate is a mass commodity and love, joy, and peace are as rare as diamonds.

Maybe, as we celebrate the downfall of celebrities such as Drake, we need to ask ourselves why we fail to see the humanity in a person who is struggling.