Achieving childhood stardom is not always a rosy path. Some celebrities experience hardships sooner than others, but Grammy award-winning star Justin Bieber faced adversity at an extremely young age, sending him down a rocky path he would struggle to get through for years.
Justin Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 in Ontario, Canada. He fell in love with a set of drums and found his gift, his voice, in the earliest stages of his life. After releasing several videos on YouTube and participating in a Canadian reality singing show, he was finally noticed by a talent agent, Scooter Braun. Braun connected Bieber with Usher, who believed the kid would one day be a star. Bieber released his first album, My World, in 2009 which helped to push his career further and make him one of the biggest heartthrobs of that generation. The social media platform that took the world by storm and continues to be a major aspect of today’s millennials, Instagram, came out in 2010, the start of his career. In the entertainment industry, social media plays a huge role in putting one’s name out and expanding their publicity.
Flash forward around five years, the attention and pressure that Justin Bieber faced at the age of 20 were unimaginable. While there is no excuse for his actions, the stress and anxiety put on him to please others forced him to go into a mental state he could not control. In 2014, Justin Bieber was arrested in Miami for drag racing, driving under the influence, refusing arrest, and driving with a suspended license. He struggled immensely. He was hurting, frustrated, and felt alone. He felt his connection to God breaking, and he questioned everything. As mentioned before, social media carries so much weight for celebrities’ images. While Bieber’s actions were of no positive influence, they caused him even more attention than ever before.
Social media affects all of us. It is what drives our generation. As embarrassing as it is to admit, it’s true. For a celebrity as well-renowned as Justin Bieber, social media has an even greater effect. The publicity that Justin Bieber got during this point in his life was not good, but it was still publicity. While we can’t deny that the fame and attention that social media brought Justin Bieber pulled him down to an ultimate low, it also got his name out there. The world of fame is interesting…celebrities want their name on the news, Instagram, Twitter, etc., regardless of whether it’s good or bad. As Beliebers ourselves, we can attest to the fact that his fans supported him through the good and the bad. In dated interviews, Bieber speaks about the chaos he experiences as a top-tier celebrity. In an ENM article written by Larry Bartleet, Bieber states that he’d “rather stand there and talk to you for five minutes and not take any photos,” which speaks so much to his character. Celebrities are normal people, but we often forget that.
After meeting and beginning to date model Hailey Baldwin in January of 2016, Bieber started a path to a happier and healthier lifestyle. They broke up six months after first dating but had a connection that would clearly last a lifetime.
Consider a hero’s journey: an individual that lives a mundane life has a calling, faces adversity, and ultimately comes out on top. Justin Bieber’s story exemplifies this concept so well. We often forget how much of an impact the people around us have on us, and we need to give them more credit. Look at Justin Bieber…he hit such a low in his life until he met Hailey Baldwin. Justin Bieber is now one of the most respectable, cool, and best celebrities of our generation.
Bieber’s love and passion for his religion have also helped him obtain a greater level of maturity today. He was at a point in life where his religion was his punching bag and he blamed God for most of his actions or reasons on why he acted as he did. But, when he grew up and received help, religion became his gateway to a more uplifting and less tense life. We should use him as an example of how we all should approach life. Even though we tend not to associate our lives with those of celebrities, we should all still expect to experience calls to “adventure,” challenges, and flourishment throughout our lives.
Cover Photo: PopCrush
