Celebrities are some of the most influential people in the entire world. There’s even been a new sub-topic of celebrity created just for social media stars and their impact: influencers. Whether it be a singer, actor, politician, or Tik Tok star, celebrities have an influence over how many of us live our lives, whether we like it or not.
As I like to say, a new type of celebrity has been created over the past couple years, the influencer. An influencer can quite literally just be an attractive person with a lot of social media followers, yet are still praised by millions. Despite a lack of talent or reason for fame that other celebrities may have, influencers can have complete control over the ideals and purchases of many of their fans, especially the young ones. Many children are often too young to research someone before “stanning” and can get caught in the trap set up by the management of these influencers. For instance, if Jake Paul claims in a Youtube video that he makes such “good” content because he drinks a certain energy drink every morning, his fans are likely to believe him. You can bet that the next day the energy drink will be sold out as many of his young fans want to make content like his and think this drink will do the trick. It is a toxic cycle of tricking children into giving them more and more money by feeding them lies. How many times have you seen a Youtube video or instagram post start off by saying “This is one of my favorite products that I use everyday. Make sure to go check out their website and use code ***** for 10% off.” And how often do you think they really use that product? Influencers likely make millions from the naivety of children. Not to say that all brand deals are lies and manipulation, some are genuinely good products and some really do need the money. I really just mean the millionaire influencers profiting off of their own lies.
These influencers in fact got their name from the great influence they have over young people nowadays, but that does not discredit “real” celebrities from their influence. People such as the Kardashians, Taylor Swift, AOC, or Tom Holland have some of the greatest influence seeing as they have humongous fan bases throughout the world. For example, Kylie Jenner’s cosmetic line is often sold out within minutes, not necessarily because of the quality of the products, but because her name is on them. These celebrities not only have a great control over what dedicated fans spend their money on, but how they act. Celebrities such as Harry Styles often use their popularity for good with a slogan saying “Treat people with kindness”, emphasizing the importance to a large fan base. This extends even further since celebrities' every move is often watched, especially when it’s posted all over social media. In this article, however, we won’t be talking about brand deals or celebrity endorsed diets, we will be discussing how celebrities can help or hurt the goal of social distancing.
With the new (or not so new anymore) threat of COVID-19 plaguing our world today, social distancing and wearing masks has become an essential part of everyday life. With celebrities and their extreme influence, it is important that they extend this message to everyone they can. Whether they’re out partying or have a socially distanced walk with a friend, the media somehow finds everything out and the public sees. Celebrities such as Lizzo and Jennifer Aniston have been using their platform to indicate the utter importance of social distancing, especially as we enter this supposed third wave of COVID-19. Other influencers haven’t been doing too good a job at promoting this idea. Even if you post about the importance of wearing a mask on your instagram, it doesn’t mean your job is over and you can go to a party. Many Tik Tok stars have fallen victim to this mentality. We see news outlets and explore pages everyday filled with photos of influencers preaching to wear a mask, then doing the exact opposite. What is this telling young fans? Telling someone to do something won’t get them to do it. Leading by example is the only way to make a difference on this terrifying, virus-filled world.