Has social media changed the way we view celebrities?
By Ann Shelley
The rise of social media throughout the past decade has brought about more celebrity spotlight. We are able to see their day-to-day activities through their Snapchat stories, Instagram posts and various tweets. Kylie Jenner is known for her long Snapchats in which she tells her fans how much they mean to her, as well as for promoting her newest lip kit or makeup release. This goes for so many other celebrities who use Snapchat or Instagram to promote their work and/or business. Another example is Kate Hudson’s workout clothing brand, Fabletics. She uses celebrities like Demi Lovato to promote the workout brand by having Lovato create her own Fabletics line and post about it on social media.
Celebrities used to be more of a mystery. No one ever knew what was going on in their lives before social media brought them into the spotlight. My parents always tell me how they never knew anything about their celebrity crushes. For example, Bruce Springsteen was never very public about his daily affairs. That’s what made us want to know more about them. People wanted to go and see them live in order to get a glimpse into their rock star lives.
Now we can see what they are doing 24/7 through their tweets, Facebook posts, Snapchat stories and Instagram posts. Trump seems to tweet more than he talks on camera. We don’t have to travel miles to see them talk in person when it’s just as easy to pull up a video, podcast or Instagram page at any time. The times have truly changed, and now we have a glimpse into the lives of the famous at the touch of a button. Now, it’s even possible for anyone to become an instant celebrity on social media platforms like modeling on Instagram or vlogging on YouTube with a fashion or lifestyle blog.
With all this in mind, I went around and asked students at High Point University what celebrity they would be for a day.
Gianni Pellegrini – “Jeremy Clarkson, the old host of top gear. The show really got me into cars, and the experience he got from the show is crazy.”
Robin Bryfogle – “Bethenny Frankel. She is a self made and wildly successful woman who has a real f*** you attitude, but in a fair manner. That’s something I admire. She isn’t afraid to get things done.”
“I would have to say Usher. He really knows how to woo the women.” – Jay Kowalski