Look at any issue of People magazine or US Weekly, turn on your TV, check Twitter or Facebook, or look just about anywhere and you’re almost certain to find a celebrity’s name in the headlines. The sad part is, a vast majority of these articles, stories and commentary are negative. Whether it’s Kim K‘s weight gain (while pregnant), Chrissy Teigan‘s food choices or Justin Bieber‘s social media decisions, the media loves to over analyze and criticize celebrities and their choices.

Now, I love binge watching “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” just as much as everyone else and I’m not saying there’s anything wrong that, apart from my sinking grades (kidding mom!). However, people often become overly interested in the lives of celebrities, myself included, idolizing them and often forgetting that they are humans just like us.

More often than not, these celebrities face public ridicule for doing things that are a part of every day life and are far from uncommon among the general public. According to the Huffington Post, 50% of marriages end in divorce. Yet, when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed for divorce, it was suddenly the end of the world. The public was in shock. Headlines everywhere talked about he shocking divorce and people had  no problem weighing in and voicing their opinions.

Often times, celebrities are held to a higher standard. More is expected from them simply because they are in the public eye, and we feel we understand them better than we actually do. Every celebrity is still a mother, a father, a daughter, or a son. The only difference between celebrities and us is that they have to live their lives on the cover of magazines.

When Justin Bieber decided to deactivate his Instagram to avoid the hateful comments he and those close to him were receiving, the world reacted with anger and dismay. Fans quickly took to Twitter to remind him who “pays his bills” and to explain “the difference between saying he loves his fans and actually showing it.” While everyone was quick to jump on the “Justin is a horrible person and hates his fans” bandwagon, they were also quick to forget the detour he took in Guatemala to help build a school, or the charitable donations he makes to Pencils of Promise or just about any other good deed he has done upon stepping into the limelight. Despite his continuous acts of selflessness, the public wants to scrutinize him and devalue his good-doings for what seems to be a logical and arguably necessary act of “selfishness.”

Had it been any other social media user out of the public eye, people would support their decision to remove themselves from a toxic environment. In a day and age where social media plays a large role in everyday life, we are constantly reminded to turn off the screen and step away if it becomes too much. Yet, when our beloved celebrities take our own advice, people act as if the world is going to spin off of its axis.

People often feel a sense of entitlement to know what is going on in the lives their favorite celebrities, arguing that their support as a fan is what pays celebrities’ bills and keeps them in the limelight. However, it is important to remember that celebrities are equally as entitled to privacy and to make their own decisions, whether fans agree with them or not. Over the fame, the money and all else, celebrities are human.

Instead of criticizing celebrities and holding them to a higher standard, we should focus on bigger issues that are more relevant to our own lives.