3 Things to Keep in Mind About Kanye West's 'Erratic' Tweeting

Kanye West has had all eyes on his tweets since Wednesday morning. In the past 24 hours, the rapper has tweeted about everything from his shoe brand Yeezy, his support for President Donald Trump, and the importance of being a free thinker.

• What is Bipolar disorder?

His series of tweets have caused many to speculate whether West is experiencing a mental health crisis. While it’s not confirmed Kanye West has bipolar disorder, many are pointing to the diagnosis as an explanation for his behavior.

https://twitter.com/OnChezNous/status/989232396364005376

https://twitter.com/smariedowning/status/989231931551346688

Not slinging as an insult but…

Kanye appears to be off his meds. I’d bet my left arm he has schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

This isn’t genius, this isn’t “normal”, this is DELUSIONAL. https://t.co/XgPoDKIanQ

— Cat Lady Scientist (@sciencecatlady) April 25, 2018

His wife, Kim Kardashian West, has since come to his defense on Twitter, saying, “To the media trying to demonize my husband let me just say this… your commentary on Kanye being erratic & his tweets being disturbing is actually scary. So quick to label him as having mental health issues for just being himself when he has always been expressive is not fair.”

To the media trying to demonize my husband let me just say this… your commentary on Kanye being erratic & his tweets being disturbing is actually scary. So quick to label him as having mental health issues for just being himself when he has always been expressive is not fair

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2018

He’s a free thinker, is that not allowed in America? Because some of his ideas differ from yours you have to throw in the mental health card? That’s just not fair. He’s actually out of the sunken place when he’s being himself which is very expressive

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2018

Mental Health is no joke and the media needs to stop spitting that out so casually. Bottom line

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2018

In light of commentary surrounding West’s tweets and the assumptions being made about his mental health, here are three things we’d like you to keep in mind:

1. You can’t diagnose someone with a mental illness by what they post on the internet.

It has never been confirmed that West has bipolar disorder. Even if he does, to accuse someone of being “off their meds” because they’re tweeting frequently, tweeting things you don’t understand or expressing opinions you don’t agree with, isn’t fair to people who do take medication to manage their bipolar disorder. Just because you think someone’s behavior is weird or you disagree with it doesn’t mean it’s symptomatic of a mental illness. It could be — but we’re not helping anyone by making assumptions.

2. Having a mental illness doesn’t change your views.

Whether West has bipolar disorder or not, mental illness doesn’t explain his political views. As one Twitter user said, “None of my manic episodes made me a f*cking republican.”

Though West has said he’s neither a Republican or a Democrat and that he doesn’t support all of Trump’s views, he shared a picture of a signed “Make American Great Again Hat,” and said that he and Trump both have “dragon energy.”

You’re allowed to criticize West’s comments, but it’s unfair to assume West’s views are influenced by being “bipolar” or experiencing a manic state. Even if he did stop taking medication and was currently manic, that fact alone shouldn’t be what sparks criticism.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/989227154993963009

3. You can criticize what he’s saying without making fun of his “erratic” behavior.

Whenever a celebrity catches our attention with behavior that seems strange, it’s easy to turn them into a joke or to discount what they’re saying because of how they’re saying it. If you believe West’s views deserve criticism, you can criticize them without making it about whether he’s manic or “off his meds.”

When you link having unfavorable views with having a mental illness, you discredit others with mental illness when they express their views. Be thoughtful when discussing West’s Twitter habits and think about the impact your words might have on others.