Celebrity Influence on Self-Perception

Creating an identity may seem fairly easy considering all of the influences present, however maintaining an identity that is true to who you are, not celebrities, is quite difficult. In professor Joanna Lee Williams’ article “Developing Adolescent Identity,” from the University of Virginia, she conveys the many methods of how teens of varying ages might approach the “Who am I?” question. And in the process, Williams provides advice for how to protect and preserve the identity of a teen. The various methods are meant for parents to apply to their kids; however, these can be used by anyone.

By creating an environment that is very caring and accepting of others and their varying identities, it makes it easier for people to be themselves. And when people are comfortable with being themselves, without a care to who might be judging them, it makes it so they don’t try to be someone else. They no longer become susceptible to finding other identities to match with. They will no longer turn to celebrities for guidance for they will have all the support they need with their family and friends. This method allows the teen to be free and to explore the different identities, however if there is a concern that the teen is compromising their morals or doing something that can be considered a risk to their safety, intervention is required. People are meant to be a “sounding board” as Williams calls it, because lecturing can drive the person away. To allow someone to just express how they feel is very simple, requires minimal work, and helps the overall situation between you and the teen. Having a listener can be of great use in that the teen is allowed to figure things out for themselves with the support of people they’re closest to.

Williams’ article so easily conveys the possible solutions to such an issue and proposes how to prevent many teenagers from conforming their undeveloped identity to that of the lifestyle of celebrities. Like many of these teens, I too struggled with finding my own identity through the earlier stages of my adolescence, however with the support from both my family and friends, I realized that it’s acceptable to be weird, to be myself. Before reading this article, I was unsure if there were any solutions to a problem such as this considering identity is very subjective and hard to define. But with this article, I can apply it my life and others can as well.

Citation

Celebrities are known for having an impactful effect on people which is why incorporating them into product advertisements can generate better sales as it draws more people to invest in their product. In business analyst and project management consultant Hashaw Elkins’ article “The Effect of Celebrities in Advertisements,” she informs the reader of the reasons why celebrities are used and what kind of an effect they can have on both consumers and the business.

Celebrity branding, as it’s called, is utilized because business owners know that celebrities have many fans who are willing to do whatever they are told to do. However, if the wrong celebrity is chosen or if it’s not a proper pairing with the product, then the impact on the consumers will be less. Strategically using celebrities is an intelligent plan at fooling consumers into buying their product because with a celebrity’s social media, fans, and status, many people will be able to become aware of the product. It will boost the brand’s name and more people will buy it, especially after seeing a celebrity endorse it. Not only will it develop credibility for the business, but it will also generate plenty of authenticity towards both the product and the business. The same is true if a celebrity criticizes a product or company through some form of social media. Knowing that a celebrity likes or dislikes a product can determine the amount of people investing because what the celebrity says is what is considered acceptable to society.

Some products such as skin care products, clothing, or even types of beverages can make teenagers more inclined to use those products because they are more susceptible to listening to someone they admire. Once teenagers begin to use those products, their identity already imitates that of everyone else who fell for the same trick, and as a result, their behaviors become identical.

Reading this article from someone with a business analyst aspect, really creates a whole new perspective of looking at celebrities because they look mainly at the status and how they can utilize that to their own benefit. The look at specifically what kind of an impact their chosen celebrities can form. For me, knowing that a celebrity I admire is endorsing a certain product, I do tend to pay more attention to the advertisement because it’s a celebrity I admire. From this article, I have learned that sometimes despite celebrity status, if the celebrity doesn’t fit the product, then the collaboration will be rendered ineffective as the celebrity will “outshine” the product. Before reading this article, I had always thought that no matter the fit, that as long as you were famous, that it would draw in plenty of customers, however that is not the case.

Citation

Wassup fam? How’s it hanging?

This is just one example of the slang used by teenagers throughout the country. Slang is the term used to describe the “language” used by many adolescent teens. These words have become widespread among the youth and it spread through the influence of many different groups of people. To better understand the celebrity influence over teen use of slang, I used journalist Sewell’s article “Say What? Slang is the Language of the Young.” In this article, Sewell explains the various definitions of slang terms. To help us understand how each term is used, what generation or year it came from, as well as what influences it, Sewell interviewed adolescent teens to analyze their slang.

According to Sewell, slang “is more about shaping their own identity rather than a desire to create a separate language to confuse parents and authority figures.” By this Sewell is saying that teenagers relate more to this language and are willing to let it become a part of their identity. The different generations believe “they own their own slang” as if “it's part of what makes that group unique and sets them apart.” But how does this so-called language become so widespread? To answer this, “Mr. Mack, who also is a program director at WJUC, said the language as used by rap and hip-hop artists and celebrities in movies seem to have the biggest influence on teens' slang.” Teenagers all across the country are exposed to some form of music or movie that has a celebrity conveying something through the use of language, slang language. Being exposed to this way of speaking is similar to how being around those with an accent can actually make you develop an accent yourself. Although this may not seem like a negative aspect of celebrity influence, it can be in that it makes it so you no longer speak intelligently. But in no way am I exempt from this either. As a teenager myself, I am still subject to using slang, however it limits my range of vocabulary. Celebrities have the power to not only create the trends but create such a trend that influences the way teenagers speak enough to convince them that it is a part of their identity.

Sewell, in her article, analyzes the “language” of slang in such a way that it actually helps us gain a new perspective on how teenagers actually view slang, rather than from the view of those who do not understand it. Before reading this, I had not known how closely teenagers had viewed slang as part of their identity. At first, I had thought of it as just a different way of speaking but not to the point where my identity wouldn’t be the same without it. This might be because I know how to differentiate when I should and shouldn’t use it.

Citation

Sewell, Rhonda B. "Say What? Slang is the Language of the Young." The Blade, 28 April 2002. https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/culture/2002/04/28/Say-what-Slang-is-the-language-of-the-young/stories/200204280003

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Being a fan of a celebrity is one thing, but to imitate their lifestyle too much can create a falsified identity. In the movie #RealityHigh, director Fernando Lebrija depicts teenage girl Dani, and her struggle to stay true to herself, while also being “friends” with celebrity Alexa Medina. Before her transformation, Dani was a shy, nerdy girl who didn’t really let what other people say bother her, but throughout the movie, her identity had shifted to a snobby fool. No longer was she the nice girl that her close friend, Freddy, and her boyfriend, Cameron, knew her to be. Those whom she was closest to had known her the best and had realized her shift in personality, however she was unable to notice it herself. Freddy pointed out an important point when he said “you don’t realize it because you fit in now.” By this, Freddy means that her identity has conformed so much to that of celebrity Alexa Medina that she no longer saw the differences she once had with her before her change in personality.

Celebrities can influence the way you speak, act, dress, as well as determine who your friends are. In this case, Dani began to put more effort into her appearance, wearing contacts as opposed to glasses, getting her hair done, and even changing the shoes that everyone had made fun of her for wearing. She wanted to fit in and she did just that, but at the expense of losing herself. Not only did she dress differently but her priorities began to change. Once she was accepted by the celebrity, Dani spent all of her time with Alexa rather than with a friend she’s known for years. The celebrity’s influence over her had caused her to forget a part of her that had been unchanged until Alexa entered her life. To have that powerful of an impact as to change her entire life is quite terrifying seeing as it’s not as far-fetched from reality as it may seem. Teenagers every day experience this without knowledge that it’s happening. Just as Dani was unaware of her identity switch, teenagers in reality, may be experiencing this as well.

In watching Lebrija’s #RealityHigh, it was a clear representation of how easily teenagers are to being influenced by those of a higher status. Similar to Dani, I have also been susceptible to changing who I was once I began to fit in with the more popular crowd. My closest friends have noticed my identity change and brought it to my attention, since I had not noticed it myself. After watching this movie, I learned just how cruel and manipulative celebrities could be towards people whose only intention was to be friends. It gives insight into just how easily identities can be changed and how having close friends who truly care about you can help prevent you from becoming someone you’re not. Instead, it will make you more confident in yourself just as Dani built up the courage to go back to being herself, despite what others thought about her.

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Identity can be shaped in many ways, but through social media and status, false identities can be created. In the movie People You May Know, director and writer Sherwin Shilati conveys the influence social media and celebrity influence can have on society. The main character, Jed Triplett, transforms his identity through the use of Photoshop to create “glamorous” social media profiles. Triplett’s career consists of him taking orders to create falsified photos of models to then publish for a company. Using Photoshop to complete this task is just one example of how celebrities are creating the expectation of having the “perfect” body and using only the most aesthetically pleasing aspects to exhort people to buy their products, such as replacing brown eyes with blue eyes in the advertisements.

Just getting involved in social media, Triplett begins to apply his Photoshop skills to create what he knows to be popular. And as his status quickly sky rockets, the influence from his social media status increases his level of impact as seen when he easily convinced a producer to let his friend Franky, audition for a role and effortlessly created a trend with just one hashtag. No one seemed to question Triplett because basically whatever he says, goes. With such an influence over people, it makes it quite hard to refute someone of such high status if you’re the only one who despises him and you have essentially no status. Status is the driving factor causing celebrities to have such an impactful effect on teen perception. Without it, their influence wouldn’t be as widespread and accepted by their many fans.

Watching Sherwin Shilati’s movie, I was able to see the effect that status can have on others seeing how Jed was powerless over others before status, and after obtaining status, his power drastically increased. Like Jed Triplett, I was also pretty late when joining the social media platforms. I didn’t necessarily try to create a false identity to conform to the expectations brought about by celebrities, but I refrain from posting due to the fact that I’ve become dissatisfied with posting a photo of myself for all to see. From this, I learned that simply mimicking a glamorous lifestyle can make all other actions much riskier because he has such an impact over others. One small mistake can either boost the quality of his life or completely demolish it. And although he may have more of an impact, more status is not necessarily better.

The ad that Jed Triplett was editing to draw in more consumers. Before editing, the lighting, body shape, eye color, as well as the face shape were all altered to fit the standards that celebrities had created.

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Music is seen as a form of self-expression, but to what extent is someone else’s expression changing the self-expression into that of another? In the senior writer of Wired, Jason Parham’s article "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' and the New Shape of Protest Music," he conveys the form of protest used by Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, and its correlation to the widespread awareness of the injustices of African Americans in the past years.

Music is written with a purpose, whether as a form of self-expression, to bring awareness to an issue, or even just for the entertainment of others. Childish Gambino’s song “This Is America” does exactly all of those, but with the main emphasis on bringing awareness to the injustices put on by other races inhabiting the United States. Gambino touches on several problems within American society such as shootings and widespread chaos, however they are placed in the background as a way to direct focus to the main issue – African American injustice. As seen in the photo below, Childish Gambino is positioned in the same pose as that of the characterized version of the Jim Crow laws. By referring to such an impactful period in African American history, but doing so in a way that can be overlooked easily, he conveys the torment and oppression that was faced in the past, but is now continued in present society. Gambino clearly spreads this information and act of injustice in a way he knows best and through the utilization of music, he can convey his main point and increase awareness about this subject knowing that he has fans who are willing to hang onto every word written in his music.

Being a celebrity and having the leverage of status, can have such a powerful influence over their many fans, almost to the point where the news spreads rapidly nationwide and many are susceptible to agreeing with someone of such status. Usually, when a teenager looks up to someone they admire, their behaviors tend to mimic that of their role model. In this case, music is seen to influence the thinking of teenagers, as to introduce an idea, reinforce it through the repetition of music, and allow for the teenagers to assimilate their way of thinking. From my experience, music has always been a form of connection in that some artists can convey my feelings better than I can. Whether this is due to the idea that I’m conforming to the expectations of what a certain feeling feels like or that I’m adapting to the feelings another person is conveying. 

Overall, Parham’s article provides and inside look into the genre dubbed “protest music.” By citing the specific details that convey the issue of the song, Parham analyzes the aspects of the music video in such detail that you can recreate the image in your mind. In addition, his analysis gives the reader insight into the meaning of the Gambino’s actions. Without this article, I would have never found an example of how well messages are portrayed through music, and easily accepted in society due to status.

Childish Gambino, in his video “This Is America,” imitating the pose of the characterized Jim Crow laws.

Citations

Parham, Jason. "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' and the New Shape of Protest Music." Wired, 9 May 2019. https://www.wired.com/story/donald-glover-this-is-america-protest-music/

Link to the Music Video

Exposure to celebrity’s social media isn’t the only influencer of one’s self-perception. As seen in Fashion Fidelity journalist Jake Platt’s article “The Impact of Celebrities on Adolescent’s Clothing,” Platt evaluates both the positive and negative aspects of celebrity’s clothing choices on the development of the identity of adolescent teens. Most teens have at least one person of high status that they look up to in a way that prompts them to imitate their lifestyle. However, the results of imitation can either create a false identity that does not equal their age or instill the young teen with a sense of confidence in oneself.

According to Platt, our need to imitate our role model or celebrity stems from our admiration for the person. Young teens look up to these people and see their sense of style as something worth creating themselves. Since most celebrities are very wealthy, imitating most aspects of their life can be difficult, which is why clothing is the easiest way to connect with their chosen role model. Platt defends his reasoning by saying that most celebrities are known specifically for their appearance whether that be fashionable choices or any other aspect of appearance, because we associate it with who they are. Celebrities just go about living their life, not knowing that their simple actions can actually elicit a behavioral response from their fans. In exchange, their fans feel closer to them on a psychological level and it makes them feel even more confident in themselves. Since these teens are still in the early stages of developing their own sense of identity, imitating that of a celebrity can be detrimental to their newfound identity. Their identities are just being formed, meaning they are malleable to any surrounding influences. For example, Platt uses the apparent aging of adolescent youth as a problem worth mentioning. Most girls would try to dress like the celebrities; however, this can be a problem when they’re only teens dressing like adult women. Boys are the same way; their imitation of clothing makes them appear cooler and much older. Despite both of these aspects, it increases both of their confidence in themselves and makes them feel closer to their role model.

In terms of societal acceptance, this can be seen as using already accepted aspects of clothing to try to fit into a society where clothing can be used as a form of judgement. By imitating the celebrity’s clothing, knowing that their status has already made this style acceptable, it makes it easier to fit in considering they conformed their style to those standards. Over the years, I have noticed that my style had conformed to those around me. Although it was an indirect form of imitating a celebrity, the connection was still there.

Platt’s article not only conveys adolescent identity as a malleable, changing concept but it also allows us to think of clothing as more than just clothing in its literal sense. Clothing can have far more effects on people than just the surface level, aesthetically pleasing aspect. From Platt’s article, I have learned that clothing can affect the developing stage of an adolescent’s identity. I had not previously thought of how much more it can affect someone at that age, as opposed to others. My only question after reading would be where the evidence was conducted, or if it was purely secondary source information considering there weren’t any specific examples.

Kim Kardashian fan tries to imitate the celebrity’s clothing style.

Citation

Millions of teenagers are engaging in some form of social media to keep up with the lives of a celebrity of their interest. This level of exposure to social media can have detrimental effects to one’s health, both physically and psychologically. But to better understand this issue, I turned to Cleveland State academic Richard Perloff’s “Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research.” Perloff’s research, specifically talking about adolescent females, informs those who are reading that an excessive amount of time on social media can lead to eating disorders as it distorts the image of oneself and their definition of what is considered “beautiful.”

After viewing the Instagram photos of most female celebrities, it’s understandable how most girls would compare themselves and then feel inferior in comparison. Many celebrities are known to Photoshop their social media photos, giving the illusion that they lack the flaws that most teenage girls face. By objectifying oneself and conforming to the photos they view online, they are subjecting themselves to the omnipresent stereotype that being a thin, slender teenage girl is the only acceptable way to look.

According to Perloff, social media can have degrading psychological effects on one’s idea of oneself such as “low self-esteem, depression, perfectionism, internalization of the thinness ideal, and centrality of appearance to self-worth.” From this information, I can draw the conclusion that exposure to celebrity’s social media is doing far more harm than anything else. Social media can become addicting and continually using it can cause girls to become obsessed with it to seek validation through “likes” and “follows.” These girls have begun to change their self-perception due to the influence of celebrity’s altered social media posts and as a result, their physical health declines as they begin to develop eating disorders as a way to account for their dissatisfaction with their body.

Perloff’s analysis exposes the widespread consequences of youth engagement with celebrity culture via social media. These negative consequences might be easily overlooked or brushed aside, but Perloff writes this in such a way that helps readers empathize with the experiences that these young girls are going through. After having read this myself, I had gained a new understanding of how social media can affect adolescent females, and I’m curious about how young males’ experiences might be less impactful. Although I had a basic understanding of the various consequences of social media because I too, have experienced this feeling of body dissatisfaction, I didn’t know how interconnected both social media and eating disorders were to one another and how they can be applied to celebrity’s influence on teenage self-perception.

Citation

Perloff, Richard M. "Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research." Sex Roles, 2014, Vol.71(11), pp.363-377. Springer Science and Business Media New York, 29 May 2014. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019.