You may have thought the world ended on March 25 after One Direction announced the heartbreaking news that Zayn Malik would be leaving the band. Or maybe you mocked upset fans who expressed their distress via Twitter because after all, “there are more serious problems in the world.” Regardless, the shocking news has a lot to tell us and it goes far beyond just another hottie leaving a boy band.
In fact, Zayn Malik leaving 1D is the biggest news of pop culture in recent times. And while I’m no die-hard 1D fan I do respect the artistry behind the music and even more so, respect Zayn Malik for leaving the band despite their unfathomable success over the years.
While some fans remain upset by the news it brings a major issue to light that we tend to disregard.
The media is destructive.
As a writer, it seems contradictory for me to make such a statement, but let’s be honest, the media is often destructive. It’s destructive of people’s personal lives. It’s a shame that for the sake of views or trends people in the media find the need to make up rumors about celebrities and even worse, invade their privacy. Since when are people not entitled to a little privacy regardless of social status? At the end of the day we’re all human and we all have feelings. But what’s so upsetting about this news to me is that the media caused so much stress and pressure that it pushed someone to quit their passion for the sake of not jeopardizing the other things and people they love.
And while the media may think they’ve won because Zayn Malik decided it was time to leave One Direction for the sake of preserving his personal life, they’re wrong. Zayn won. He was forced to choose between two worlds and he chose the right one. He chose a world in which love prevails, not where media without a conscience tears people apart.
If Zayn Malik leaving One Direction proves anything it’s that many media outlets are demoralizing and fame and fortune isn’t always as glamorous as it seems.
