Key points
- The death of One Direction star Liam Payne has devastated many young people around the world.
- It’s the first major celebrity death for Generation Z, which had a close connection to the band through social media.
- Young people are reminded that it is okay to grieve.
Fans around the world are mourning the death of One Direction star Liam Payne.
It’s a huge moment for many young people, especially those born between 1997 and 2012, known as Generation Z.
For many fans, this may be their first experience with celebrity deaths and the heartbreak that comes with them.
Formed in 2010, One Direction is one of the biggest boy bands of all time.
Dr. Georgia Carroll is a sociologist and researcher who completed her PhD on fandom communities at the University of Sydney.
“Obviously there have been major celebrity deaths in recent years, but this is the first on this global scale,” she said.
“From their very first days, fans have felt especially connected to them (One Direction members) and it seems like they have grown and evolved with them over the last fourteen years, thus losing someone that so many people felt so attached to him.
“If you were a young girl, chances are you were a One Direction fan and it was a big part of your personality.”
Dr. Georgia Carroll says Liam Payne’s death marks the first major celebrity loss for Generation Z, who grew up getting to know the boy band intimately through social media. Source: MONKEY / Ebrahim Noroozi
One Direction and the rise of social media
One Direction rose to fame at the same time that social media took off, allowing fans for the first time to connect with the band on a deeper, personal level and follow their every move as they updated their millions of followers.
Lauren Rosewarne, associate professor of Public Policy at the University of Melbourne, said the devastation fans are feeling can be traced back to the intimacy social media provides.
“One Direction is deeply intertwined with social media. Their rise coincided with the rise of social media use. So definitely that idea of parasocial relationships,” she said.
“The idea that fans feel like the band is communicating directly with them – that’s more powerful than any other band fan experience throughout history.”
Fans around the world compare Payne’s loss to how their parents must have felt when they experienced the loss of a major celebrity.
Formed in 2010, One Direction is one of the biggest boy bands of all time. Source: Getty / Mike Marsland
But with the added intimacy that social media provides, is there a difference in the sadness that Generation Z experiences?
Rosewarne said she doesn’t believe the grief is any different; it’s just more public.
“So fans, when Michael Jackson, Prince, John Lennon, when these people died, of course fans grieved. But the difference is now everyone has a phone and a camera and it’s being documented,” she said.
“It’s also captured on social media, where people share their thoughts and feelings in a way that we don’t have data on celebrity grieving before social media.”
‘It’s okay to grieve’
Data in Australia shows that young people are increasingly struggling with their mental health.
Research from the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, headspace, shows that eight in 10 people in Australia are concerned about the mental health of the young people in their lives.
How can Australian youth cope with this loss?
Carroll said it’s essential to recognize that it’s okay to grieve.
“It’s just really important to recognize that it’s okay to grieve, even though we didn’t know Liam as a real person. Fans still have these memories tied to their fandom: seeing the band, listening to their music, interacting with the friendships they built around their One Direction fandom.
“And of course that means you feel real sadness and real sadness. And there’s been a discussion because obviously One Direction fans are just girls who are emotional. It’s a real and valid feeling of sadness because we did a relationship with have him.”
Griefline offers confidential support on 1300 845 745 and via
Readers seeking mental health support can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
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