RIP Liam Payne

Yes it's tragic to all concerned. What a bloody shame for his wee boy.

I do think it is so sad that a young life was lost, but I have been absolutely disgusted by things I’m seeing in papers and on social media.
My granddaughters are distraught, and have been sending me TikTok posts containing some very intrusive stuff from newspapers, but also from people hoping for ‘views’. There are also many posts containing outlandish conspiracy theories, all apparently to boost ‘engagement’. The girls have explained to me that TikTok pays people for a certain number of views, and if you can flog stuff from their online shop it can be quite lucrative. So many people jumping on the bandwagon with no regard for the young man’s family.

No one can walk down a street without noticing that with few exceptions everyone they see, from one week to 100 years oldlooks pretty ordinary.

How many stunning people do you see in a supermarket, or pouring into a achool, or factory or office?

We are all surrounded 24 hours a day by ordinary people with all their imperfections. For anyone, regardless of age, to think they have to reach some mythical level of beauty or looks is ridiculous and it is up to us as adults to bring our children and grandchildren to know that from infancy.

If only it were that simple Monica.

Exactly, Kate1949. I think it's almost impossible for most of us on here to realise just what kind of pressure young people are under these days to look 'perfect' all the time - and it's all down to social media. You've now got primary school aged children copying make-up tutorials from social media, never mind teens. They're bombarded with all these images of 'perfection' - much of it photoshopped or AI generated - and they feel they have to live up to that or they won't be popular or successful.

MissInterpreted

Exactly, Kate1949. I think it's almost impossible for most of us on here to realise just what kind of pressure young people are under these days to look 'perfect' all the time - and it's all down to social media. You've now got primary school aged children copying make-up tutorials from social media, never mind teens. They're bombarded with all these images of 'perfection' - much of it photoshopped or AI generated - and they feel they have to live up to that or they won't be popular or successful.

I still think if parents and adults around them regularly adminstered large doses of common sense.young people. especially girls, would be more balanced.

The real problem is that so many parents, even in these sexually equal (theoretically) times play up to little girls to be pretty, to play up to men, starting with fathers and family and generally see their way in life as being pretty and attracting male attention. Look at the kinds of clothes designed for girl babies and toddlers.

We do have it in our hands to say 'yes but' and more people should do it.

I agree, it's so hard for youngsters. And how we deal with this in a responsible manner is even harder.
Some cope, some don't, and maybe, in the music industry particularly, there should be a way of finding out who might be vulnerable before putting them forward for this lifestyle. I don't know how much support and mentoring successful teenagers actually get during and after these reality TV shows? When do the cracks start to appear? How do some keep their heads above water, whereas others crumble?

One of the band's members moved into a house mansion next to my friend in London. He was so down to earth, just 20, asking her to put his bins out and take in parcels when he wasn't there. She used to bake him cakes too because he loved them! The irony was, that she hadn't a clue who he was for a while until her son told her when she mentioned his name one day!
I think he is still very happy today having ridden out several storms and personal tragedies. I guess its how you're made and the luck of the draw.

I agree that huge fame in the pop music world is likely to cause difficulties as the mid teenager negotiates the developmental stages their peers are going through but safely living an ‘ordinary’ life, usually still living in a family.

The prevalence of drugs and alcohol in pop circles shouldn’t be under-estimated. It’s normalised and I’d say expected. It’s difficult enough for parents to support their children through this. OneD boys were so young and no doubt desperate to fit in their new exciting world.

From my brief read of the news, Liam had several previous attempts at rehab. This meant he was to stay longer so tests to prove sobriety could take place. There seems no doubt he was intoxicated and acting out, rowing with women he’d called to his room, smashing things up. Maybe events could have been different if the emergency services had been called as might have happened if he wasn’t famous.

It’s so very sad. I share the views of others who place drugs/alcohol at the centre of his tragic death

It’s so very sad about Liam, so many artists choose the wrong path of fame, which is drugs, alcohol, that is if it is after toxicology reports show. I feel so sorry for his parents, you don’t expect your child to die before parents. Feel sad for little bear, his son, will be growing up without his dad. And for Cheryl, bears mum knowing how to bring her son up without his real dad not being around anymore, so sad.