Is It Creepy to Speculate About Justin Bieber's Love Life?

PopEater

Pop-Ed: Anyone out there who has a teenage son or even a little brother can understand some of the revulsion I feel each time I read about Justin Bieber's love life in the entertainment press.

Is he dating Kim Kardashian? Did Miley Cyrus steal him from Kim? Yuck! I most certainly hope not on both accounts since Justin is just 16.

If the Biebs were a young lady celebrity, we would be pairing her up with older male celebs, but the standards seem to be different since he is a boy.

But that doesn't make it any less creepy that cadres of editors, most of whom are well into their forties with children of their own at home, are making claims about the libidinous pursuits of a child.

"Babyfaced Justin Bieber may seem all grown up when he sings flirtatious songs, but underneath he is fragile when it comes to love, because of having been born to an 18-year-old mother who raised him as a single mom," worries psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman. "The media scrutiny is adding to the problems he will have with love. The photos with Kim Kardashian, for example, were a bit inappropriate. Though both of them tried to downplay any real romance, there was something a bit off about their 'relationship'. Now reports are that Justin is looking for a girlfriend who is funny, confident and not afraid to be herself. But being herself apparently cannot include wearing Ugg boots or big sunglasses."

That's a lot to know about the preferences of a kid who isn't old enough to shave.

Celebrity watcher and author of "Cult of Celebrity" Cooper Lawrence thinks we are blowing this out of proportion. The loves of of famous kids have always been fair game, Lawrence argues. We are just watching it in real time know instead of on a weekly or monthly magazine schedule.

"It's not creepy because entertainment weeklies and tabloids have been reporting on the love lives of teen stars since there were teen stars, David Cassidy, Michael Jackson, Donny Osmond (who, by the way, as a Mormon should have shut it down) but they know their appeal is to young love struck girls so it only ads to their mystique," Lawrence says.

She adds, "Michael Jackson sang about falling in love when he was a pre-teen, even younger than Justin Bieber. And by the way, its his LOVE life, not his sex life that is being reported on plus its also important to remember that their lyrics are about love, crushes, girls etc. Just read the lyrics of 'Favorite Girl' 'or 'Baby'."

Because we have more celebrity access, more websites and more weeklies it feels like this is something new, but it is something that has always gone on. We just have more entertainment vehicles now to feed the desire to know more about the Biebster and dating life.

Unfortunately, as Dr. Lieberman alluded to, dating under a microscope during your teen years can lead to unhealthy relationships later in life. Just ask Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.