2 years ago

EXCLUSIVE: Sydney Dalton Talks To 4TNZ!

Sometimes Bieber Fever can get a little out of control!

Just ask 15 year-old Sydney Dalton, who became a bit of an Internet celebrity when the video she posted of her and her friends tearing up Justin Bieber posters drew lots of hateration from JB fans.

Why did she do it? What happened next? And what does she think of Justin now?

Here, in an exclusive interview with 4TNZ, Sydney breaks her silence!

4TNZ: You seem to have a very strong following on YouTube. When did you start making videos and what was your goal in starting your own channel?

SD: I started really putting videos on in March. I put maybe 3 or 4 up before that but they were months and months apart. I love to watch people's videos of them being completely weird and random and having fun, so that's what my friends and I do. We put the camera on and just act ourselves! My goal was to honestly just get people to laugh!

4TNZ: Obviously, the video of you and your friends tearing up Justin Bieber photos has gotten a lot of attention now, even though you uploaded it two months ago. Why do you think people reacted to it so strongly? Was there a story behind it? We'd like to hear your side of things!

SD: I think people reacted so strongly because we were the last people they would expect to do that. We were his biggest fans and we were there from the beginning of his career. We were all just a little frustrated about something — not anything Justin did or said, though — and we got mad and decided we needed to get over him. After we ripped the posters down, we realized that we weren't really over him and that it was a bad idea, so we took it down about 5 minutes after we posted it and by then someone copied the video and reposted it on their account.

4TNZ: Why do you think you became such a target of cyberbullying and not your other two friends? (Or did they receive attacks as well?)

SD: I honestly have no idea. My friends and I were trying to figure that out. They ripped down the posters and also met him the same day as me, they also tweeted about it but I was the one that got all of the hate. That is a question that I'd like to know the answer to, also!

4TNZ: What would you say to others who have been the victims of cyberbullying?

SD: Don't let it slide. Take action. If we just keep saying to ourselves "Oh, it's not that big of a deal, they aren't going to do anything." cyber bullying will never stop. Some people are stronger then others. Some people take some of the things that are said to them seriously and kill themselves over it, and that is not okay. So my advice to victims would be to speak out about it, tell a parent/guardian or an adult and put a stop to it.

4TNZ: Do you regret uploading the Justin Bieber video? Would you do it again?

SD: I do regret it and no I would not do it again.

4TNZ: You still seem to be a big Justin Bieber fan. Have you heard anything on whether he knows about all this controversy? What would you WANT him to know?

SD: I do think Justin knows about it but I haven't heard anything about if he does for sure or not. But I would tell him that he has kinda helped me through the haters because he has stayed so strong with all of his haters that it helped me stay strong with mine.

4TNZ: How has the cyberbullying affected your daily life? Are people in your school sympathetic? Have you gotten a lot of support from family and friends?

SD: Well I used to be able to go on Twitter and just say whatever I wanted, but now every time I say something it's twisted and used against me. They treat me like a celebrity or something. People in my school laugh at the whole thing and how blown up it is and how pathetic the girls are. My family has been behind me since all of the death threats have come in. A few of my friends have told me I'm ridiculous for doing interviews on it, but I just want to get my story out and stop cyber bullying.

4TNZ: What would you like to say to all those who criticized you? Has this experience made you stronger?

SD: Well, I'd like to thank my haters for getting my name out into the public. This experience has definitely made me stronger. I've heard so many encouraging words that the hate doesn't even get to me anymore. That doesn't mean I'm not taking the threats seriously, though.

4TNZ: How has this affected your feelings about Justin Bieber and his other fans. Do you plan to still follow him as much as you used to? Or do you think Bieber Fever has gotten out-of-control?

SD: It hasn't really affected my feelings on Justin. I am in high school, so my "obsession" has calmed down, but I do still like him. His fans, on the other hand, I think they need to grow up. Some of them are absolutely crazy. And I think they will later realize I wasn't so bad once they get over Justin.

4TNZ: What are your goals for the future? Making more YouTube vids?

I love making YouTube videos, so I will continue to make them. And I've actually been working on my acting and finding a manager and agent in my area!