In Fame, In Fortune, Influence

JENNY LEE
Features Editor

With technological advancements, news about whoever and whatever is accessed wherever and whenever. Retrieving the latest celebrity gossip requires nothing but a few taps on a phone, a few clicks of a mouse or a few buttons on a remote control.

Because celebrities play a significant role through American entertainment, they become role models who can influence a sizable number of their fans. An idol’s poor decisions affect the language, self esteem and self respect of young fans.

The National Institute of Mental Health calculates that over five million Americans have eating disorders, starting from age eight. With the media glamorizing products with models looking like Barbie Dolls, even young adults feel less confident and more dissatisfied and angry about their appearance. Newsweek surveyed that 84 percent of Americans claim sex plays a greater role in popular culture than it did 20 to 30 years ago. Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, voted the Worst Celebrity Influence of the Year on an online poll aimed at 9 to 15 year olds, raise questions over the connection between celebrities and these statistics.

Although not every idol is negatively influential, those who disrespect themselves or immerse themselves in drugs and alcohol should not only be wary of their health, but also of how they are perceived. The moment a person steps up to be a celebrity, they become a role model.