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2026 - Volume 10 - Number 2

Celebrity Bullying Among Young College Students in Nigeria

Olusegun Liadi
Fountain University, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Osogbo, NIGERIA

Baraka Ajibade
Fountain University, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Osogbo, NIGERIA

Akeem Ademola Azeez * ORCID: 0009-0000-1777-5644
Fountain University, Department of Mass Communication, Osogbo, NIGERIA

Teslim Adegboyega * ORCID: 0009-0005-9590-6773
Fountain University, Department of Mass Communication, Osogbo, NIGERIA

Kafayat Liadi
Fountain University, Department of Mass Communication, Osogbo, NIGERIA

Open Journal for Sociological Studies, 2026, 10(2), 41-52 * https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojss.1002.01041l
Received: 30 March 2026 ▪ Revised: 24 June 2026 ▪ Accepted: 21 September 2026

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)

ABSTRACT:
The expansion of social media has transformed the relationship between celebrities and audiences, enabling direct interaction while simultaneously increasing exposure to online hostility. Although cyberbullying research has grown significantly, limited attention has been given to celebrity-focused bullying within African contexts, particularly from the perspective of young adult audiences. Hence, this study examines celebrity cyberbullying among young college students in Nigeria, with emphasis on students’ perceptions, motivations and interpretations of negative engagement directed at public figures. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized in-depth interviews with forty purposively selected college students who are active social media users. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ narratives. Findings indicate high levels of familiarity with and involvement in celebrity cyberbullying. Participants described trolling, abusive commentary and ridicule as common practices within their online interactions. Motivations identified include perceived inappropriate behavior by celebrities, desire for online attention, jealousy, boredom and the affordances of smartphones and internet connectivity. Many respondents framed their actions as moral correction, humor or entertainment rather than harassment, revealing definitional ambiguities surrounding celebrity cyberbullying. The study concludes that celebrity cyberbullying is embedded within youth digital culture in Nigeria and is sustained by social media affordances, normative audience practices and perceptions of celebrity responsibility. It recommends enhanced social media literacy, stronger platform regulation and responsible celebrity self-presentation as key strategies for mitigating the practice.

KEY WORDS: celebrity cyberbullying, social media, Nigerian college students, digital culture, online harassment.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:

Olusegun Liad, Fountain University, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Osogbo, NIGERIA.

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