From small-scale internet content creators to actors and television personalities, the amount of recognition that celebrities have received has grown exponentially with the use of online platforms, as has the number of young individuals being exposed to such fame. The demographic of those who are online and consume the media idolizing these celebrities also is becoming increasingly younger. The combination of these factors leads to an alarmingly negative impact that celebrity culture and the glorification of celebrities has had on both the fans and celebrities alike. Despite the admirable talents of many celebrities, these negative effects of celebrity idolization outweigh the aptitude that caused many to reach their level of stardom in the first place.

American pop-culture and the media have put celebrities and their lifestyles on a pedestal, portraying them as exemplary and almost unrealistically ideal. As Freshman Isabella Langlee said, “it’s like, ‘wow, that celebrity is living the life in Hollywood- they have, like, the whole mansion.’ And then it’s like, the chances of actually becoming someone like that it’s really slim.” Consumers of media can experience depression and other mental illnesses due to the over-exaggeration and unattainability of the ‘ideal’ lifestyle being advertised.

When celebrities are glorified to such a high degree, the consumers of media are blinded to their faults and wrongdoings, which is especially dangerous considering the increasingly younger demographics on the internet, and the common view of celebrities as role models. Freshman Catherine Yang said that, “problematic behaviors or actions or views get shared super easily,” and added that, “this can be problematic for their fan base, especially if it’s mostly young, impressionable people.” If a celebrity does something objectively wrong, and is not punished significantly for it, severity of their wrongdoing is lost on their audience, leading them to believe that such wrongdoing is acceptable.

This also allows celebrities to avoid the consequences that their actions may have on their careers and potentially abuse the power that they hold. Bad examples are not significantly questioned due to the celebrity’s fame. When questions do arise, they are often drowned out by die-hard fans, who make it so that the celebrity is not heavily affected by criticisms. 

One prominent example of this is internet personality Andrew Tate, who rose to fame on multiple online platforms such as Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram. He is known for giving questionable dating advice and making incredibly misogynistic remarks while doing so. For example, Tate said, “any woman who is going to sit there and think it’s more important to argue with me about how she is as capable as a man at everything, […] as opposed to just letting me pay the bill and be pleasant, is not the kind of woman I want to talk to.” His extremely large audience, of mostly young men, does not question anything he says, and invariably defends Tate, despite the accurate criticisms of multiple other content creators.

This pedestalization has negative effects on celebrities as well. The exultation of celebrities beyond the level of humanity objectifies them. Fans feel entitled to information about a celebrity’s personal life and the entertainment that celebrities provide. Many forget that celebrities are people with lives outside of what they present to viewers, with an equal right to privacy as viewers. In fact, a recent article from Forbes said that, “many celebrities are opting to sign off on the social platforms; with some saying they are doing so for their mental health.” The entitlement of viewers often leads to harassment and safety issues for celebrities, as well as a sense of pressure to fulfill fans’ immense expectations. “It’s also important to acknowledge that it should be normal to have boundaries with them because to celebrities, like that’s just the way they make a living,” said Yang. 

At the end of the day, celebrity glorification has negative effects for all parties involved. However, celebrities are not inherently a bad thing. In fact, they often provide important role models and mobilize their audience for positive purposes. The issue at hand is the unhealthy way that celebrities are portrayed and idolized. In order to mitigate the negative effects that celebrity glorification has had, it’s important to see celebrities as people, treat them as such and hold them accountable for actions that should be cause for criticism.