Why IT tycoons were easily believed in the "drug abuse rumors"

It is indeed not rational for the public to believe the rumor that "IT tycoons were arrested for drug-related crimes". However, it is hard to deny that the public's perception that "the entertainment industry is very chaotic" is also related to the "lack of self-respect" of some celebrities.

In the past few days, Ko Chen-tung and Jaycee Chan were arrested for drug use, making the topic of "celebrity drug use" hot. Just as public opinion was in an uproar, someone on the Internet dropped a "blockbuster bomb": On the evening of the 19th, a Beijing IT tycoon was arrested for drug use in a hotel, which has been confirmed by the media. The news quickly exploded on the Internet, and many people also locked the target on Zhang Chaoyang, so much so that Zhang Chaoyang issued a statement yesterday afternoon saying that he rarely drinks alcohol, let alone taking drugs.

A piece of explosive news, after a period of fermentation, was finally confirmed to be a farce. It was quite ridiculous. The rumor did not mention any names, and the source of the news was also a "gossip", but it was spread with details and facts in the exaggerated forwarding and "protagonist" guessing. In the end, Zhang Chaoyang and others came out to clarify, which burst the inflated public opinion bubble.

It is common for rumors to be hard to tell whether they are true or false. The same is true for "IT bigwigs taking drugs". It combines two very inflammatory keywords, "IT bigwigs" and "taking drugs", and it is hard not to cause heated discussions. However, there are too few details and the plot is vague. Logically, the media and netizens should have "carefully verified" before spreading the rumor. But why did the public fall for the rumor so easily?

It should be noted that with the launch of the Beijing police's special anti-drug campaign, news of celebrities being arrested for drug-related crimes has come one after another. In this context, when it is said that an IT tycoon has also joined the list, many people will inevitably "believe it" and regard it as the "next episode preview" of the "anti-drug series". Moreover, these celebrities who have been arrested for drug-related crimes come from a wide range of circles, including actors, singers, screenwriters, and directors. As netizens joked, "Prison on Fire" is only missing a producer, and now the "IT tycoon's arrest" has appeared at the right time, which is also in line with the need to "tell a story."

Zhang Chaoyang's refutation of the rumor undoubtedly gave the rumor maker a resounding slap in the face. But after the clarification, Zhang Chaoyang is "innocent", but who can guarantee that the rumor will not hurt others by mistake, and the public will not take it seriously the next time similar rumors appear? After all, the "wind" in the public's "hearing the wind is rain" is not groundless. So many celebrities have been arrested for drug use, which also throws a realistic question in front of the public: Why do these so-called "successful people" fall into the pit of drug use?

According to media reports, drug use has become a trend in some high-end circles, and some have even seen "drug parties". Previously, an artist said: "It is indeed quite common, about half" and "This thing (drug use) is often just like smoking... it's just more expensive". Its credibility may be questionable, but it is an indisputable fact that this circle has become a "severely affected area" for drug use. It is precisely because some celebrities "don't love themselves" that the general perception of "high-end circles is very chaotic" has been created, so when celebrities "take turns squatting" one by one, the public will not be surprised.

In the final analysis, the fact that "drug abuse" has become a popular word is also a lashing out at those sick "circle cultures". It is because too many people do not "clean themselves up" that "insiders" are caught in the crossfire and pay the price for their reputations to collapse. Although it is irrational for the public to believe in the "IT bigwigs involved in drugs", putting aside individual cases, when the public instinctively chooses to believe that celebrities are involved in drugs, isn't this a warning?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.