Astérion, an Easy Target?

Astérion is not your typical influencer. Far from provocative or overly polished personalities, he has built a community around simple, honest content often marked by gentle humor, nostalgia, or passion. He talks about what he loves: vintage objects, pop culture, video games, and sometimes himself. Nothing aggressive, nothing pretentious. And yet, this very posture has made him the target of increasing harassment, both online and in real life.

Astérion’s case says something about our time—a time when transparency irritates, kindness is mocked, and any perceived vulnerability becomes a target.

Not Just Another Public Figure?

No. Astérion doesn’t resemble the majority of influencers seen today. He doesn’t aim for visual perfection. He doesn’t sell dreams or miracle products. He attacks no one. He doesn’t create spectacular scenes. And that may be precisely the problem.

In a digital world driven by exaggeration, conflict, and constant self-promotion, he stands apart. He seems to stay true to himself. And that, in itself, is sometimes enough to trigger disproportionate reactions, as if his sincerity exposed the facade of others.

The Spiral of Online Harassment

For several months now, Astérion has been the target of mockery, parody, and relentless criticism. Some content creators have produced full videos ridiculing his appearance, his speech, or his lifestyle. Dozens of anonymous messages flood his accounts. These aren’t isolated incidents—some of the mocking content has gained hundreds of thousands of views, amplified by group behavior and the internet’s mob effect.

This is not a clash of ideas or constructive criticism. It’s a collective dynamic where ridicule becomes a weapon, and the person behind the screen is erased in favor of a caricature.

Physical Assault

On May 22, 2024, Astérion revealed in a video that he had been physically assaulted. According to his account, he was recognized in the street by individuals who began verbally provoking him, and one of them eventually hit him. He filed a complaint. The incident is serious and shows that online harassment, often seen as “just virtual,” can indeed spill into real-world violence.

This is a warning sign. When a public figure—modest and kind—can’t walk the street without risk, something fundamental in our social fabric needs rethinking.

Why Him?

Why target Astérion? Why go after someone who avoids conflict, controversy, or harm?

Several reasons may explain it. His difference, first. In a world where irony dominates and emotion is suspect, his tone of sincerity stands out. Then, his visibility—though not massive, his videos often reach over 100,000 views, enough to attract scrutiny and attacks. Finally, his open posture of being “kind” or “genuine” may be perceived as weakness. And in a brutal culture, visible vulnerability attracts blows.

The Scapegoat Mechanism

Societies have always sought scapegoats. Historically, they served a function: concentrating a group’s frustration on a single figure. Social media, with its speed and viral nature, only amplifies this old pattern.

Today, a content creator only needs to be slightly outside the norm to become a target. Astérion doesn’t play by the same rules, and so he is seen as an anomaly. And that anomaly becomes an excuse.

What the Law Says

In France, online harassment is punishable by law. Articles 222-33-2-2 and following of the Penal Code cover malicious online behavior. But in practice, prosecution is rare. Perpetrators hide behind aliases, create multiple accounts, or benefit from the platforms’ slow responses.

Astérion’s complaint after the physical assault is an important legal step. But for online harassment, responsibility is diffuse. Who can be sued? A single user? A video creator mocking him? An entire online community?

The Silence of Platforms

YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok—all of them have community guidelines. But these rules are often applied inconsistently. Harassing content can stay online for months. Reports are ignored. Moderation is slow, often too slow to prevent escalation.

For someone like Astérion, it’s hard to defend himself. He can delete videos, turn off comments, but often the damage is already done. And the platforms’ silence sometimes amounts to passive complicity.

The Normalization of Cruelty

Beyond Astérion’s personal case, this situation reflects a troubling trend. Cruelty is being normalized. Being harsh, mocking, or ironic has become a sign of intelligence. Meanwhile, humility and kindness are dismissed as naïve or weak.

This doesn’t mean influencers should be shielded from all criticism. But there is a clear difference between critiquing ideas and attacking people. Between disagreement, satire, and harassment.

A Call for Decency

Astérion’s story is not about ideology or taking sides. It’s about basic decency. Whether or not you like his content or his personality, he deserves to be treated with respect—like anyone else.

And more broadly, we need to reflect as a society. When does criticism become harassment? When does humor become violence? When does disagreement turn into a campaign of destruction?

Astérion never asked to become a symbol. But his experience forces us to question how we treat those who simply refuse to play a role.