There are healthy reasons to follow celebrities and learn about their lifestyle and habits. Because in the end, what makes them different from us is the fact that they do what they love and have created a lifestyle around it.
But, ever since social media came into existence, we have had 24/7 access to the lives of celebrities. Today, we scroll through the photos of the rich, famous people who spend thousands of dollars on their plastic surgeries, skin care products, nutritionists, and trainers. All this is not visible to us because their social media is so perfectly curated to show you only what they want you to see. That’s a very powerful statement.
You see only what they want you to see.
Is Everything We See On Social Media Manipulated?
We believe that if we stare hard enough into the details, pay attention for long enough and watch their witty interviews, we would become like them too. Even though in our brains, we already know that it does no good if watching them is all we do. And, whether you’re aware of this or not, you’re probably already comparing yourself to celebrities you see on social media
It is natural for humans to compare themselves to others but it’s also unhealthy. There is a subconscious desire in humans to idolize anything that is stronger, better, richer, more beautiful, and more powerful than the rest. But you need to remember that celebrities are like you and me. They eat, drink, sleep, think and feel like everybody else.
The aesthetically “perfect” pictures that you see on social media probably go through several layers of editing. And when you see hundreds of these perfect photos, you begin to feel like this is normal and a new standard is born in your mind.
Celebrities are a business by image.
Much of this celebrity obsession is intentionally cultivated. Talk show hosts, for example, try to give the audience a personal connection with the guest. While it may not be scripted, they are very carefully structured with genuine improv to be promoting something in one way or another. If you weren’t already aware, talk shows do not run live. You can probably guess why because there’s no room for mistakes. So, the next time, you see some embarrassing moment, or spoiler leak on these shows, yes, they’re shown to you on purpose. I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones and you, Marvel. You’re both guilty.
Celebrity worship has become a way to fill the void in our lives. Deep down, we feel like if you don’t have such characteristics, it’s somehow our fault. Our fault that we didn’t work out enough, our fault that we didn’t try hard enough, and our fault that we haven’t eaten well enough. But we do not realize that it is their job to look successful and happy now. What could be really sad is that you might fall in love with the tailored identity of celebrities so much that you compare everyone to them and never feel satisfied with your friends and lovers.
Should you avoid following them completely?
This is not to say that you should unfollow celebrities completely, but being armed with the knowledge of how social media celebrity culture affects you, consciously and unconsciously, is key. I would like you to do something that I will do myself as well. Filter out all the celebrities that do not have a positive influence and cut them out. The worst that could happen is that you’ll be out of touch when they start a new relationship or break up.
By trying to be like them, you are losing the originality of yourself.
You don’t have to live like someone else. You’re probably way closer to being a celebrity if you work on your own goals rather than watching them. None of the celebrities you follow have the time to follow another celebrity as you do. This is why all of them have defining characteristics that make them different and likable. Don’t you think now that you need to do the same?
You might finally shed that underlying feeling of not being good enough once you stop comparing and caring so deeply about them. And when you look at the pretty pictures on your phone, you will consume them in a healthy, responsible way.
As much as you should be aware of the celebrities you follow, do you know what kind of friends you surround yourself with? We actively get influenced by celebrities we see online, but passively, we are influenced by the friends we make.
You can head over to my blog You Become Who Your Surround Yourself With to read more on why I think you need to choose your circle wisely.
To listen to an audio narration of this blog, visit the podcast page.
This podcast is available on several streaming platforms – https://linktr.ee/hacchuu
