Popular Celebrity Icons and Teen Role Models Research Paper

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Introduction

The impact celebrities have on youth mentality, behaviors, and thus culture is undeniable. The youth look up to their favorite celebrities as role models – routinely imitating their modes of dressing and lifestyles. However, one thing is certain: the impact that celebrities have on our youth today is both positive and negative. While there are good-natured celebrities out there who influence the youth positively, there are others whose behaviors are largely uncouth and could thus be considered bad influencers. This text concerns itself with popular celebrity icons and the influence they have on teens. In so doing, it will mostly focus on Justin Bieber - one of the youthful modern celebrities who happen to have massive following among the youth.

Discussion

It is important to note that for a certain celebrity to be deemed influential, he ought to have a powerful impact on his or her follower’s perspective of life. Thus, his utterances, behavior, as well as disposition must affect the behavior and attitudes of his or her followers as well. As it has been pointed out in the introductory section, the influence that celebrities have on the youth is undeniable. This we can tell from the fact that it is not uncommon to encounter a young person clad in clothing similar to that of their favorite celebrity or another having their room covered with posters of their celebrity idol. It is also common for the youth to compare their own self to the image portrayed by their celebrity of choice.

A real life example of celebrity influence on teens could be seen in the realm of teen body image. For instance, Granatino and Haytko point out that many young women today embrace the thin idea portrayed by celebrities in the popular media (47). Indeed, “a study of 124 young teens between the ages of 15 and 16 found that many teens were influenced by celebrities and fashion models and expressed a desire to look like them…” (Granatino and Haytko 47). In this case, teens have been known to go to great lengths to match the skinny looks of their favorite icon – especially those celebrities considered to be fashion icons. However, on this end, there are celebrities who have in the past attempted to positively shape the attitudes and behaviors of the youth. Examples of the said celebrities will be highlighted later on in this text.

Some of the celebrities who have a huge following of youngsters on social media include, but they are not limited to, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardishan, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Dwayne Johnson, Kanye West, and Tom Cruise.

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This list is drawn from celebrities in music, sports entertainment, and film/TV. These celebrities shape not only fashion and trends but also perspectives on life. For instance, when it comes to Miley Cyrus, her impact on young girls over time has been quite significant, with the said young girls out there trying to adopt her fashion sense as well as her spunky and playful look.

In seeking to assess the negative influence that some celebrities have on the youth, it is important to note, from the onset, that when a celebrity posts pictures or videos of himself smoking cigarettes/cigars and drinking alcohol online, he effectively normalizes…

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…influence is the social media. People like Bieber have a huge following on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Their utterances and deeds are thus broadcast instantaneously to their fans across the world. The popular media helps in this regard. However, the image often projected on social media is not authentic. As a matter of fact, as Hou observes, “social media celebrity is characterized by staged authenticity, managed connectedness with audience, and the cultural preoccupation with self-sufficient uniqueness” (11). Further, technology has made it possible for information to be stored and retrieved easily. For this reason, simply ‘Googling’ Justin Bieber is likely to bring fourth all kinds of information about this particular celebrity. Unlike at any other point in the past, youngsters today have unlimited access to social media. They are, thus, likely to keep tabs on their favorite celebrities on a regular basis – and be influenced by them.

Conclusion

The relevance of ensuring that the youth have the necessary knowhow on how to properly interpret the influence of celebrities cannot be overstated. This way, the negative impact celebrities like Justin Bieber have on the youth can be diluted. Further, level-headed celebrities should be roped into the campaign to positively influence the youth and nurture their behavior. For instance, celebrities who have struggled with drug abuse could be called upon to document their struggle and demonstrate that it is not ‘cool’ to abuse drugs. The role of the government and its various agencies cannot also be overstated on this front. This is more so the case when it comes to not only censoring offensive material on popular media, but….....

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