Americans have followed celebrities for a long time. In recent decades, however, rapid advances in technology have brought us more celebrity visibility than ever before. Celebrity culture is harmful to young people because it gives extreme power to ordinary people, causes a disconnection from reality among young people, and causes self-esteem issues with body image and quality of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Celebrity culture is the perpetuation of the personal lives of celebrities on a global scale, a modern phenomenon that emerged amid 20th-century trends such as urbanization and the rapid development of consumer culture. The personal lives of celebrities have been shown to the public through radio, film, television and the Internet, which facilitate the mechanical reproduction of images and the rapid dissemination of information, as well as through publications, tabloids and talk shows. Intimate interviews, like those of Barbara Walters, and tours of celebrity homes, like those on Edward R. Murrow's television show Person to Person, changed the public's sense of scale with celebrities. This false intimacy is what has led to celebrities having extreme power and consumers to disconnect from reality. Celebrity culture originated when, in an early search for self-definition, Americans of the revolutionary republic worshiped military heroes and romantic fictional protagonists who embodied virtue and self-confidence. By the mid-20th century, attention shifted from politicians to baseball players and movie stars. American writer Washington Irving wrote that Americans “want something to rally around; some bright lights to attract them from afar. They want something that attracts and concentrates their affections.' Magazines specializing in illustrated articles about leading actors found an audience, featuring stories about celebrities such as the Barrymores girls or the Ziegfeld Follies. The advent of the television industry in the 1920s marked another step forward in the cultivation of celebrity culture. The radio became a household presence: by 1934, 60 percent of all American households owned at least one radio set. Today's more advanced technology has made celebrity culture even more pervasive. Supporters of celebrity culture have numerous arguments to support the claim that celebrity culture is not harmful. They claim that celebrities who promote ethical behavior and make responsible personal decisions can have a positive effect on teenagers. It's true that some celebrities promote social justice, relief efforts, and fundraisers; some celebrities also promote a positive self-image and help teens with self-esteem issues. There have been numerous instances of celebrities promoting education and cultural/political awareness by writing books, participating in debates, showing interest in travel and politics, participating in eloquent interviews, and speaking at college graduations. The Debate Chamber of the Global Education & Skills Forum 2018 expressed its opinion on this issue. Sir Tony Little, Chief Academic Officer at GEMS Education opposes celebrity culture, stating that “role models can be healthy, they improve our personal lives and that of our community. Just think of Stephen Hawking and the way he focused our minds on his genius, but also on his ability to overcome considerable odds. But celebrity culture now is that of someone gaining mass recognition for being a caricature of themselvesthemselves. It is the inflation of personal lives on a global scale and is intrinsically linked to consumer culture” (“Does celebrity culture harm young people?”). In reality, adolescents, especially vulnerable and poorly educated ones, fail to discriminate between good and bad role models. Zayna Aston, Head of Communications and Public Affairs EMEA at YouTube, supports celebrity culture, saying that “social media channels have given rise to a myriad of positive role models, allowing a young person to find someone they can identify with. This online celebrity culture has exposed our youth to a world beyond their own, they have diverse and authentic role models. Compare that to the past, when the only celebrities were movie stars, mostly American, white, and male” (“Does Celebrity Culture Harm Young People?”). He points out that celebrities can serve as effective role models and that the world of celebrities is becoming increasingly diverse. His claims are supported by the good deeds of celebrities. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has raised more than $350 million for research into a cure for Parkinson's disease, and singer Sir Elton John is a staunch AIDS advocate, having raised more than $300 million for fight HIV/AIDS. But, often, celebrities don't use their power in the most magnanimous way. While some celebrities use their power to raise awareness about issues, numerous celebrities have given health advice that conflicts with that of health professionals. For example, having breast cancer at age 36, actress Christina Applegate advocated MRI screening for early detection; however, advisory groups do not endorse MRIs for people at average risk for breast cancer. Even Applegate's favorite breast MRI costs more than $1,000, about ten times more than a mammogram. In this case, a celebrity used their power irresponsibly and gave health advice in uniform. Actress Suzanne Somers endorses her own brand of drugs, including bioidentical hormones to reverse aging and proteolytic enzyme therapy for pancreatic cancer, without approval from health care professionals. A randomized, controlled trial comparing chemotherapy and the Somers-approved proteolytic enzyme therapy for pancreatic cancer found that the former offers significantly longer survival times and improved quality of life. In this case, a celebrity championed their brand and used their power to profit from consumers. Similarly, Jenny McCarthy warns of a link between vaccinations and autism without supporting evidence. His claims are believed to be partially responsible for recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in North America and the United Kingdom. McCarthy made an unwise remark and his actions caused his following to turn away from necessary vaccinations. Celebrities then provided uninformed medical advice, using their power for damages and brand deals; it is observed that the followers of the cult will blindly follow the opinions of celebrities and do not think for themselves. According to the economic literature, celebrities distinguish sponsored items from competitors and can catalyze herd behavior; marketing studies and neuroscientific research tell us that the characteristics of celebrities are transferred into sponsored products. Celebrity endorsements activate brain regions involved in creating positive associations, building trust and encoding memories. There are numerous cases where it has been seen that theCelebrity experiences influence people's health behaviors. When journalist Katie Couric broadcast her colonoscopy on NBC's Today Show in 2000, colorectal cancer screenings by 400 American endoscopists increased 21 percent in the following month; Following actress and singer Kylie Minogue's breast cancer diagnosis, bookings for mammograms increased by 40% in four Australian states. Additionally, the popularity of juices, cleanses, detox diets, quirky exercise routines, and anti-aging products can be directly linked to celebrity endorsements. Specific examples include Angelina Jolie's revelation that genetic testing precipitated her decision to undergo a preventative mastectomy, leading to an immediate increase in demand for both genetic testing and preventative mastectomies. Celebrities therefore catalyze herd behavior and often provide misinformation. Celebrity culture is harmful to today's youth because it is abused as an escape from reality. More and more people see becoming a celebrity or achieving a celebrity lifestyle as a reasonable and attainable life goal. As sociologist Karen Sternheimer writes in “Celebrity Culture and the American Dream,” “rather than mere superficial distractions, celebrity and fame are unique manifestations of our sense of American social mobility: they provide the illusion that material wealth is possible for whoever. Celebrities seem to provide proof that the American dream of going from rags to riches is real and achievable.” The countries that seem most obsessed with celebrity culture (the United States, Great Britain and South Korea) do not score particularly high in the population happiness rankings. According to the World Happiness Report 2013, a study prepared for the United Nations, the happiest countries in the world are Denmark, Norway and Switzerland; Canada is in sixth place. The United States and Great Britain, two countries that produce and consume a large amount of celebrity culture, rank 17th and 22nd, respectively. Furthermore, when it comes to social mobility, Britain ranks last among the 34 nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Convention, and the United States is third to last. Therefore, countries that fare relatively poorly in terms of social mobility, happiness, and education, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, also embrace celebrity culture and a reach-for-the-stars mentality. Therefore, celebrity culture is harmful because people disconnect from realistic expectations of success in life and believe they can become celebrities; it distracts them from their education and safer means of upward social mobility. Stephen Duncombe, associate professor of media studies at New York University, says that "celebrities are so tied to democracy and success, especially now." People like Kim Kardashian seem real. They behave like us. They come from the places we come from. Celebrity culture makes social mobility seem magical.” The dream of celebrity that people have developed is a “get rich quick” fantasy that has very little chance of actually coming true. Furthermore, this social obsession does little to elevate or prioritize activities that promote true social mobility and well-being. A study published in 2007 in the International Journal of Cultural Studies found that those who “follow celebrity culture are the least engaged in politics and least likely to use their social networks to engage in action or discussion on public issues.” . Young people now have more rights and there are fewer of theminterested in community commitments and intrinsic rewards. The vicious cycle appears to be that declining social mobility and diminishing life options lead to an increase in dreams of fame, which increases the allure of celebrity and causes a focus on extrinsic rewards and distraction from actions that might improve life. social mobility, such as education and advocacy for social mobility. social change. Surveys have shown that “60% of American kids believe they will become famous, only 1% plan to work in an office, and 4% plan to work as teachers.” People are moving away from realistic expectations of success in life and believing they can become celebrities. It distracts them from their education and more certain means of success. Celebrity culture is also harmful to young people because it causes self-esteem issues with body image and quality of life. In a 2016 study conducted by Girlguiding UK, 37% of girls said they compared themselves to celebrities most of the time (Malacoff). The constant reinforcement of the “perfect” woman in the media has a direct impact on girls' body confidence. Body image research has found that looking at magazines for just 60 minutes lowers self-esteem in over 80% of girls (Malacoff). “It's natural, though often unhealthy, for human beings to compare themselves to others,” says Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist focusing on self-esteem and body image, and author of Joy From Fear (Malacoff). “When you look at celebrities, those who are unable to reach this truly impossible level of perfection secretly (or not so secretly) feel ashamed and defective,” he explains (Malacoff). The pedestal on which celebrities are placed causes young consumers to compare themselves to "perfect" images and diminishes their self-confidence. In addition to self-esteem issues with body image, celebrity culture causes self-esteem issues with quality of life. Roger Scruton, philosopher, states that pleasures are of many types, but the most dangerous ones for us come from consumption. Happiness, beauty and the sacred are things we cannot consume and, therefore, offer us consolation and lasting refuge (Scruton). “Consider beauty: the beauty of flowers and landscapes, of birds and horses, of the things we see and touch and smell as we walk in the countryside. We completely agree with these things. We have no desire to consume or destroy them. This is an elementary experience that we struggle to put into words. The cult of celebrity is a substitute for religious faith, but also its inversion. It offers profanation in place of holiness, envy in place of reverence, and amusement in place of bliss. But it doesn't please anyone” (Scruton). Celebrity culture showcases the lives of the rich and makes consumers feel dissatisfied with their lives. Celebrity culture is harmful to young people because, particularly on reality TV and on the Internet, ordinary people are portrayed as extraordinary and great people. they are given a certain amount of power. This results in abuse of power and further disconnection from realistic ways to succeed in life. American celebrity culture has taken a decisive turn toward the ordinary over the past twenty years; Australian cultural studies professor Graeme Turner has called this the "demotic turn" in celebrity culture. The emergence of reality TV and the Internet has made the ordinariness even more evident. Viewers are fascinated by ordinary people's drive for stardom, the focus on the ordinary lives of famous people, and the rise of new types of celebrity. The.