By Kelu Musa
Nigerian singer and music promoter, Charles Enebeli, popularly known as D’Prince, has decried the growing trend of monetising cyberbullying in the entertainment industry.
The Grammy-nominated music executive, in a series posts on his X handle (formerly Twitter), described cyberbullying as an emerging “dangerous business model.”
According to him, some podcasts and media platforms now thrive on paid narratives, controversy, and targeted online attacks on individuals.
“Cyberbullying has increasingly become a dangerous business model in Nigeria, to the extent that some podcasts and media platforms are now created primarily to monetise paid narratives, controversy, and targeted online attacks,” he said.
The artist noted that creatives were already facing significant pressure to sustain their careers and livelihoods, stressing that online harassment further worsens their challenges.
“No amount of internet clout is worth an artist’s mental health, dignity, or emotional well-being,” he added.
D’Prince condemned what he described as coordinated online attacks driven by propaganda, engagement farming, and paid agendas, noting that the trend extends beyond the entertainment industry.
He called for increased accountability, professionalism, and ethical standards in journalism and digital media to curb what he termed “toxic fanaticism” online.
The Chief Executive Officer of Jonzing World Entertainment urged social media users to exercise caution, emphasising that there is a thin line between online banter and cyberbullying.
According to him, while freedom of expression is a constitutional right, it must be balanced with responsibility.
“Let us choose empathy over cruelty, because every single person is fighting battles the world may never see,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that monetisation of cyberbullying refers to the bad economic model where bloggers, influencers, and media platforms weaponise online attacks and controversies against entertainers to generate profit through ad revenue and paid engagements.
Content creators monetise this outrage on social media networks, turning targeted harassment and celebrity feuds into lucrative streams of view-based revenue.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)