Tweet

History does repeat itself.

#CutforBieber came to be a trend on Twitter in 2013. Teens all around the world were self-harming because they found their pop icon, Justin Bieber, was using drugs. They thought that harming themselves was the only way to get the pop star to stop.

Last Wednesday teens had found that One Direction, or 1D, an English-Irish pop boy band based in London was losing one member: Zayn Malik.

Zayn wanted to quit the band to become a ‘normal 22 year old’ and leave fame behind him following his 1D departure.

Is it that big of a deal?

One Directioners are reacting in many different ways.

For some fans it was just shocking.

“It was shocking and unrealistic that he left,” said Edyn Convery, who has tickets to see the band perform in August.

To other fans it was the end of the world as we know it. Fans were outraged and in complete distress.

Some tweets read “I need to go home because Zayn left One Direction. I need to mourn” and “Zayn is leaving 1D and I think I felt the earth stop turning.”

Teenagers in their millions mourned the departure of Zayn and some expressed their emotions in the most sinister way.

One Direction fans took to Twitter to share their devastation.

A new self-harm hashtag trend spread faster than wildfire on Twitter when teens were posting pictures of their wrists alongside #CutforZayn.  Fans thought this was the only way to get him to go back to the band.

Girls as young as 10 are being urged to cut themselves in the self-harming social media campaign.

One fan appeared to have etched the words ‘I love Zayn’ into her forearm with a broken razor blade.

“I don’t think they are very mature,” said Edyn. “Yeah, it’s upsetting and devastating, but I wouldn’t kill or harm myself over it.”

Six teens have also committed suicide because the beloved member on 1D has decided to depart.

“I don’t think people especially teen girls should be hurting themselves just because somebody from one of their favorite bands left,” said sophomore Kiara Wolfe. “The band members have to decide for themselves and if it would be best to stay in a band or go off into another career.  Their decision should be based on their own opinion not their fans!”

Some people think the entire trend is a joke putting up tweets saying things like, “Instead of self-harming for Zayn, do some self-loving and cut yourself a nice piece of cake for yourself to enjoy.”

Is there any way to stop these fans from dealing with this in the most sinister way?

Most people say no.

“There’s nothing we can do unless they grow up a little and get a grip. They also need to realize the celebrity’s position,” said Edyn.

“I don’t know if we can stop them honestly because I’m not them,” said Alexus Miller, a huge Directioner. “We can’t help prevent teens from doing this, but maybe there’s a way we could help them through whatever their reason is for doing this and help them not do it as bad or as much.”

Our generation seems to be self-harming more and more. Many students at Bellwood-Antis High School have different opinions on why self- harming is becoming a way of life for teens.

Alexus said, “I think it’s the fact that they find these celebrities in their darkest times especially just because they are celebrities and they won’t leave them. So they look up to them and love them. With the Zayn thing if you were to ask us (Directioners) three weeks ago if we thought this would happen, we would laugh in your face and say no.”

“When I was younger, I would literally cry over certain One Direction things. I don’t think they realize what they’re actually doing to themselves and they want to do it for attention from the celeb and other fans.”