Monkey See, Monkey Do
In today’s social media age just about everyone is online, and let’s be honest, if you aren’t — you may be missing out on the latest trends, hilarious memes, or the social issue discussions written about. Think about it — social media is literally, ‘social media.’ It encourages active participation, and engagement over many different platforms. It isn’t very difficult to get the ball rolling when there are 330 million active Twitter users, 800 million Instagram users, and 2 billion Facebook users, just to name a few. These platforms enable public discourse, because wouldn’t life just be so boring if we all agreed with each other?! But with so many online users, who are the conversation starters that promote trends, social issues, or anything else seen on social media? Celebrities with a huge fan base are the ones with the power to shape public discourse. This is because more followers equate to more power. It is likely you will see Kim Kardashian’s view on the best lighting for the best selfie, rather than a person who you equally don’t know IRL.
Today, the cult of celebrity is so prevalent, as their online actions can directly influence their fans. Whether that influence be to spend money on their creations, or to donate to a foundation, is in their control. Celebrities, such as the Kardashian and Jenner family, are experts in selling to us. They broadcast their luxurious lifestyle and demonstrate the ways we can be just like them. We live in a society where this admiration for celebrities can detach us from our pockets, encouraging us to make irrational spending decision as it fulfils an emotion benefit. Evidently, celebrities have the ability to influence our consumer desires, verifying they can influence public discourse on just about anything.
There are benefits that emerge as celebrities shape public discourse, as they can highlight social justice issues to make room for change. When using these non-traditional social platforms, it encourages participation from all users, giving everyone a voice. The power of social media can be seen from trending social movements, such as: #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #TimesUp. Famous women in Hollywood share their stories on sexual harassment, encouraging numbers of women that experienced similar harassment to come forth and share. Evidently, celebrities hold a lot of power to encourage the dissemination of ideas by sharing on their social media profiles. They bring awareness to issues allowing many people who depend on social media for news to be informed.
However, considering the amount of power celebrities hold, their lacking online presence can too shape public discourse. For instance, in the United States during dramatic polarization from the elections, Taylor Swift never spoke up about her political beliefs. Although, as an American citizen she is entitled to her privacy, the pop star claims to be a feminist, yet couldn’t support Hilary Clinton. This is because her fan base in largely in the Southern States, which has many Tr*mp supporters. The problem that comes with celebrities having so much power, is that when it comes down to it, they say what will protect their career and profession interest. By catering to her fan base instead of standing by her feminist beliefs, her fans were given a false impression that swayed many of their decisions to vote for Trump, because evidently, that bastard became their President. Clearly, celebrities have the power to influence public discourse, because when posting online to a large audience, their loyal fans will be quick to share the same opinion. This is why many people believe if Tswift spoke up, Hilary may have won the election.
We are limited, yet very affected by social media due to filter bubbles being unknowingly formed. However, with the public discourse lying in the hands of the celebrities, there can be both positive and negative outcomes. It can be good as their approval bears weight on their hundreds of thousands of followers who respect their authority. In this case, having celebrities shape public discourse can be beneficial for society to remove prejudice and promote activism. However, at the same time, a powerful celebrity with contradicting views can also influence a nation. This can be seen as Trump has tried to ‘Make America Great Again,’ has only made American racist again.
This is why it is important to understand why you think one way over another and to not let social leaders dictate our thoughts as they follow their own agenda! It is clear, these high-status individuals shape public discourse because they have the ability to influence both our conscious and subconscious thoughts. We are born slaves to the media, where almost all our thoughts are influenced by a higher power. Now that social media is in full effect, we are given the choice to either go along with their demands, or take notice and do something different.
Cailey Bisgould
Citations:
Rife, Katie. “An Incomplete, Depressingly Long List of Celebrities’ Sexual Assault and Harassment Stories [UPDATED].” The A.V. Club, Www.avclub.com, 22 Nov. 2017, www.avclub.com/an-incomplete-depressingly-long-list-of-celebrities-se-1819628519.
Schneider | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com, Jeremy. “Golden Globes 2018: Social Media Reacts to Activism, All-Black Dress, #TimesUp Movement.” NJ.com, NJ.com, 7 Jan. 2018, www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/01/timesup_social_media_reacts_to_activism_all-black.html.
Zimmerman, Amy. “Taylor Swift Is No Silence Breaker.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 6 Dec. 2017, www.thedailybeast.com/taylor-swift-is-no-silence-breaker.
Zimmerman, Amy. “Taylor Swift’s Loud Election Silence — and Connection to Donald Trump.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 20 July 2016, www.thedailybeast.com/taylor-swifts-loud-election-silenceand-connection-to-donald-trump.
