Madison Beer and “The Half of It”

Madison Beer’s road to stardom is one that many people wish for. At the age of 12, she began posting song covers on Youtube. Scooter Braun, also known for being Justin Bieber’s manager, discovered and signed her to a record label. Although this may seem like the ideal rise to fame, Madison Beer’s memoir “The Half of It” is a reminder that everything is not what it seems. 

Outside of music (her primary career), Madison Beer is most notable for her social media presence. On TikTok, she has over 18 million followers, and her Instagram has more than half as many, with over 36 million followers. This amount of exposure has led her to receive mass amounts of hate.

In her book, Beer talks about growing up in the digital age and how that had an impact on her self-esteem. People would regularly pick apart her photos and makeup rumors about her personal life. It can be easy to say “Just ignore it” or “This is what you signed up for” when celebrities receive hate online. However, it is scary to think that people can become so numb to numbers and followers that they forget that a real person exists behind the screen. A verified check is not a shield. Anyone can be affected by hate and negativity. 

In the book, Beer speaks candidly about her journey with mental health. She shared how she navigated her Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, and how therapy and medicine have been helpful in her journey. In sharing her story, she hopes to spread awareness and use her platform to inspire others to seek help when needed.

This book serves as a reminder that you never know what someone is going through. Kindness on the internet should not be a rare thing to see, it should be the norm.