Everyone has seen the infamous video of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his HR chief, Kristin Cabo,t shying away from the kiss cam at the Coldplay Concert on July 16, 2025. As they ducked out of the frame of the camera, Singer Chris Martin himself commented, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." This video drew the attention of hundreds of people at the stadium, who posted it and caused it to gain a lot of traction. The very next day, the identities of the couple were revealed, which was the catalyst for the internet's divide.

Image credit: Raph_PH from Wikimedia Commons

In my experience, scrolling, there are only two types of media I've seen covering this incident: the parodies and the thoughtful ones. The parodies, where content creators recreate the incident, say what Byron and Cabot should have done, acting out what they believed happened before and after the concert, and so much more. While these videos are funny and chalked up to entertainment, they associate the scandal with comedy and capitalize on it for views, when in reality, things are not as funny.

Online Impersonation

Andy Byron's wife, Megan Byron, has allegedly made a statement to the public, although it has not been verified as being from her. She has also deactivated her social media accounts in an effort to maintain her privacy. However, upon searching her name on Instagram, one will find at least a dozen accounts sporting her full name.

Due to Megan's silence, many people have claimed to be her online, posting false statements of self-pity, strength, and hatred. None of these belong to her.

In the age of social media, it's incredibly easy to impersonate someone online without even being challenged. When most people don't fact-check everything they see, you can get away with posting anything about anyone. The people who have created these accounts, claiming to be Megan or even her children, want to be involved, and by letting them skew the narrative, we're forming muddled opinions of the situation.

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Holding Andy Byron Accountable

I now call your attention to the other half of the internet, where people treat this event as seriously as it is. Our society has normalized cheating and makes light of it, but social media posts such as this call attention to the extent of betrayal Andy Byron has committed. Both he and Kristin Cabot have lost their jobs, and their families are in the public spotlight.

He released a statement, beginning with an apology but leading into a request for privacy and chastising the internet for turning a private moment public. While this standpoint holds some truth, it is certainly not an excuse for his actions. Accounts such as this make fun of the situation, rather than penalizing Byron for what he did.

Separating Memes from Real People

One of the reasons I believe it's so easy to get caught up in the fun of this issue is that they don't feel like real people. This applies to everything you see on social media. When the misfortunes of others go viral, it makes for great content, and it in fact becomes trendy to post about it.

When you're behind a screen and the event happened to someone you don't know, many people don't think twice about commenting on it. After it's all said and done, it's not going to make a difference to the issue, right? However, when the entire internet has this mindset, it unquestionably does impact the situation itself. When people are suffering, the last thing they want is to be portrayed as somewhat of a character in a fictional narrative that the media has created. When millions get involved in an event they are not related to, it only causes damage.

That being said, it's important to stay informed about issues. However, this shouldn't be confused with prying for personal information. Although memes and viral videos are fun to do a deep dive on, some information is not meant to be known. These interests are better redirected towards researching world issues or even smaller events that directly affect you.

You may be thinking that it's not that big of a deal to just have knowledge about a viral event, and you're not entirely wrong. That is the definition of virality, of course. Just be sure that your actions to achieve this aren't harming anyone else (e.g., harassing on social media or spreading gossip/rumors).

Image credit: Cottonbro studio from Pexels

Respect and Privacy

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people conduct searches of their own on issues they hear about, invading the privacy of those involved. Even people who don't have any social media have heard about this event. When we have access to so much information after a simple Google search, it's difficult to see boundaries that should not be crossed.

As the public, we are not entitled to information about this incident, and a lack of it is not an excuse to create a false version or stalk those who can provide it. I admit, this scandal is interesting, and when videos parodying it show up, I don't scroll past immediately. However, that itself is the issue: we don't know the line between entertainment and invasive harm. It's up to you to draw that line for yourself.