In the past few years, there has been an astronomical increase of celebrities in the media. From the Kardashians to Taylor Swift, it seems that celebrities have been placed under the spotlight, or microscope, for the public to enjoy.
At one touch on your phone, endless amounts of information can be found about any celebrity; from their birthday to the latest relationship scandal they’re in, it’s all there.
Celebrities’ news spread like wildfire on both social media and in the day to day lives of the average Joe. It’s easy to recall Will Smith slapping Chris Rock while screaming profanities, or Kim Kardashian losing her diamond earring.
Seeing these celebrities everyday often leads to putting them on a pedestal with jarring effects on people, especially the younger generations.
Kempsville Junior, Paytynn Ross commented,“In women you see a lot of things relating to weight and appearance. Idolizing these women and expectations that media sets promotes eating disorders and a lot of overall negative impacts.” regarding the influence of her peers.
Over the years, more and more of the public has become engrossed with celebrities’ behaviors, even down to their appearance. While celebrities can center around fun topics where there are concerns about their influence, like Ross.
There is an agreement about the impact celebrities can have when it comes to body image issues. Body images issues being linked to celebrities is not new though.
Mrs. Soccio, the Taylor Swift Club advisor, recalls she “actually experienced it as a young person, comparing yourself to someone who very likely can be airbrushed. It can lead to problems if you are always comparing yourself to these people. Because you can sometimes find yourself lacking”
While this may seem surprising, when looking at some basic facts it becomes clear why insecurities can pop up from celebrities in the media. According to Remez Sasson, humans are designed to idealize things, or celebrities, they view as powerful. Idealization can lead to having that desire to become just like them, or feeling like they are a part of something bigger than themselves.
“It’s kinda easier to not focus on the things that are going for you, maybe not so good or so challenging, and shift that focus to details that probably aren’t that important.” says Mrs. Soccio when speaking from experience of being a mother to young women.
Despite this, Soccio recalls Taylor Swift’s concert one of the most memorable nights of her life because “experiencing the community and kindness to each other, and everyone was so impressed by each other. I truly was the oldest person there and everyone was very kind and very sharing of the bracelets and complementing the outfits.”
Coming together to celebrate celebrities can help build communities, like the Taylor Swift club here at KHS. Many have positive experiences as a result of celebrities’ songs, shows, movies, etc.. However, there should be wariness about supporting celebrities, and balance of priorities is important.
However, celebrities being front and center of so many lives does not fall onto the individual but the media. For the everyday person it becomes easy to get lost in the glitz and glamor of celebrities’ lives.
While the perception celebrities have more wealth, power, or fame, Kempsville Psychology Teacher, Mrs. Malbone, notes, “Whether it’s social media or mainstream media there is a regular focus on celebrities as though they are superhumans but they’re normal people.”
Mrs. Malbone raises concerns about depression as “our culture is pushing on us to all be the same. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. We are all unique and different. It can be hard for us to process that and accept that.”
In a clinical study by Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, it was found those who idealize celebrities have higher rates of depression, anxiety, social dysfunction. Other notable findings included concerns with body image, identity diffusion, and poor interception of interpersonal boundaries.
When it comes to interacting with celebrities, from social media to attending events, it is important to be aware of the impacts. Celebrities’ lives can be a good outlet to relax, but it can also have detrimental effects, like celebrity idolization. Having balance is one of the most proactive steps one can take to keep themselves protected.
