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Social Media and the Celebrity Effect: Distorting Our Realities
Why Your Favorite Celebrities Shouldn’t Be Your Life Guides
Remember the time Elon Musk called a British diver a pedophile after the man saved a group of soccer-playing children trapped in a Thai cave? All because the man said Musk’s rescue plan wasn’t workable.
Or how about the time when J.K. Rowling treated her followers to some unsolicited — and unproven — advice on how to stay secure from COVID-19, and worked up a storm with some transphobic comments?
Every time a celebrity posts something on social media, it seems to send shockwaves through the public. It’s almost as if their words carry more weight than the average person’s. But should they? I often ponder this question.
The persona they present online often bears little resemblance to the talents or achievements that catapulted them into the spotlight. In a way, their social media presence is just another performance, detached from the reality that earned them their fame.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for us to reconsider our fixation on these virtual projections. Perhaps by stepping back from the constant stream of celebrity updates, we can focus more on our own lives, our own goals. Here are five valid reasons why you might seriously…
