By Fernanda M. Tovar
Staff Writer
In a matter of seconds, a video or meme can go viral. You tweet or post anything that is funny and people will run with it. I mean thousands, sometimes millions of retweets and likes.
Social media platforms have given users an opportunity to do more than socialize. You can expand and network for your business. You can promote community events, school clubs and activities. All kinds of successful things.
Although anyone can become famous through social media, what bothers me is when it happens to people who have no talent.
Thanks to Dr. Phil, 13-year-old Danielle Bregoli now charges $32,000 for a guest appearance.
I first saw her on Instagram. It was a short clip from an episode on Dr. Phil, where she claims to be from “the streets.” She has this terrible accent that makes me cringe.
Her catch phrase: “cash me outside, how ‘bout dah?” She delivered it after she felt attacked by the audience.
Her appearance on “Dr. Phil” dealt with her behavior. She supposedly dropped out of school when she was in seventh-grade. She had a horrible attitude and treated her mother with disrespect.
On social media, there are videos of her fighting at pubs and on planes, using racial slurs when replying to people’s comments, and simply being reckless.
Although many of her actions reflect on her age, 13, most social media still somewhat send positive messages toward viewers. In this case she doesn’t, and viewers still seem to encourage her behavior.
Most people my age are trying to figure out the next step in their lives, not post videos addressing their “haters,” but trying to graduate college and, hopefully, find dream jobs.
We can graduate college with a degree, and it is not even guaranteed that we will find a job in our area of study. Meanwhile, we have teens making thousands of dollars for acting disrespectfully and ignorantly.
I am usually all about people becoming successful and bettering themselves. However, in situations like this, it is unsettling.
I wish social media would look past these people and realize they are not even doing anything positive or helping others.
But most people do not think that way. I am probably considered another “hater.”
