Celebrities are a huge part of modern life and regardless of why or how they are well known, the vast majority of them are consequently internet famous too. We all have our favourites that we follow online and therefore receive an insight into their life. We get to see where they went for lunch, what outfit they wore to a party the night before, their dog in its new coat, which shade of lipstick is their favourite…but how about a charity that they are involved in, their opinion on a political debate, or simply a message that could alter a teen’s outlook on life? Something that could start a discussion, make the reader question their actions that affect others, inspire someone to donate to a charity, or change the world for the better? That, we do not see.
I think it is safe to say that if we see our favourite star buying a certain an item then it makes us more likely to consider buying it. This is an amazing tool which is not being used to promote the right things. With such power over so many people, are they using it to its full potential?
In the 21st century we are lucky enough to have so many social media platforms and spend on average 1 hour and 40 minutes on it per day. However, it’s not just teens who use social media, in fact the amount of people over the age of 70 on any form of these platforms has increased. There are so many social medias that can be used to influence an enormous amount of people from Instagram, to Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. None of which are being used to their full potential.
Some celebrities, such as the Kardashians, are mainly famous for being on social media and not for their job or a talent like a singer or footballer. However, these social media stars do absolutely no good with their platform, that is ultimately their career. If celebrities like them, who each have over 100 million followers each on Instagram, start using their fantastic opportunity for things that matter then I truly believe that it could change the world.
The public who follow such people are lucky enough to see various selfies and promotional videos advertising the newest makeup item they have brought out or talking about how much they love a certain clothing brand, leaving a link to the website. Millions of their followers will see these and instantly feel the need to visit the website and buy something so they can be just like their favourite celeb. Imagine if they did that with a charity. Imagine if they posted a video of themselves involved and physically helping out with a charity they believe in and explained to their audience more about what they do. Imagine if they left a link to where money can be donated to this cause. Imagine if millions of people clicked that link and donated.
Many of my peers at school, and friends from local schools, have also been questioning celebrities and how they use their platform. Alisha Howard told me that she believes “If I was famous I would try and help young people suffering with bullying at school. I would raise awareness and hopefully provide a place where people can share personal stories and support each other. More stars should be doing good like that”.
Luckily, some celebrities do use their amazing chance to change the world, such as Emma Watson who uses her fame to promote feminism and share her views. Another is Tanya Burr, who is a youtuber with over 3 million subscribers. She has done various Instagram posts about her political views, feminism and her charity work in South Africa. She is also an ambassador for the Global Goals, in particular the goal for Gender Equality. However, nowhere near as many famous people use their fame in a worthy way as they should. I truly believe that if they used their social media accounts to influence the millions and millions of people who follow them, to spread good messages and views on life, then our world would be a much better place. We need celebrities to use their social media accounts to make a difference in the world.
By Lily Buttery
