Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Charli D’Amelio have all cried on Instagram Live – but are the emotional outbursts real or not?

In a world where anything on social media feels curated, spontaneous displays of emotion – think Lizzo crying about her haters – are seen by some as contrived

Crying on Instagram Live could be seen by some as a form of ‘sadfishing’ – a term for posting sad content online to garner sympathy, support or drive engagement

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Stars like Lizzo are having emotional outbursts on Instagram Live, but in a world where anything on social media feels curated, it’s seen by some as contrived, embarrassing or both. Photo: YouTube/Lizzo Instagram

Published: 11:20am, 25 Aug 2021

What do singers Chloe Bailey, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney and countless other influencers have in common?

They’ve all shed tears during an Instagram Live – or “cried on IG live”.

Ever since Instagram introduced ephemeral live broadcasts to the platform (they can be saved but are more often screen-recorded and posted to other social media platforms), celebrities, influencers and everyday people have had one more outlet to share every facet of their lives in a way that seems even more real and relatable.

But in a world where anything on social media feels curated, spontaneous displays of emotions – efforts to vent, raise awareness and connect with followers – are seen by some as either contrived, embarrassing or both.

Singer Chloe Bailey cries online. Photo: YouTube

That’s led to the memeification of crying on live. As in “imagine crying on live”, said by people who predict they’d never be in that situation. It’s the polar opposite of the normalise-talking-about-your-feelings-and-rejecting-toxic-energy therapy speak – basically, live your truth, but log off first.