Every person has a goal in life. Some want to become a lawyer, while others want to become a doctor. Today we see a significant increase in those who want to become famous.
This comes from the large diversity of media that is available for the whole world to see. There are many streaming platforms such as “Tik Tok” or “Instagram” that let us see the great lives of famous people.
It’s well known that being a celebrity or influencer can have many benefits in one’s life. For instance, having the ability to afford a very comfortable house, filled with luxuries, and fans who give lots of support and love. Another thing that might lead a person to dream of becoming famous is collaborating with different brands and participating in prestigious events, like the Met Gala, Grammys, and more.
Nevertheless these are not the only reasons. Many people say that being a recognized figure can have power big enough to enter politics. There are quite a few examples that give us proof of why it’s true. A great one is a big political figure, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to EBSCO the current president of Ukraine actually started his career by starring in movies and comedies that are well known to the Ukrainian community.
He participated in movies such as “No Love In the City” and “Servant of the People,”which gained him lots of fans. What is also worth mentioning is that these roles of course did not guarantee his place in the politics, but only helped him get more recognition amongst the voters.
However, being recognizable is not as perfect as one may think. Before posting yourself on the internet it’s very important to look at the heavy disadvantages that are most likely unavoidable.
One of the most important and common things that celebrities often struggle with is an enormous decline in mental health. The issue is that the humongous amount of social pressure hits them hard everyday. Constant interviews, paparazzi cause the feeling of anxiety, and lack of privacy wherever you are.
Consequently, many end up struggling with depression and other illnesses. A perfect illustration of this is a very well-known celebrity Britney Spears. Many sources say that the worldwide recognition she got made her life really hard.
On a daily basis Spears was harassed by paparazzi, which even led her to have public breakdowns that even prompted her to attack a photographer’s car. In addition, she often experienced a very harsh backlash from her family and media crew, who were controlling her life 24/7.
Another individual that actually decided to quit doing social media is an influencer by the name Evelyn Ramli. In an interview with Business Insider she said, “For my first two years as a content creator, I saw it as a fun side hustle to do while in university… But when I went full time with content creation after graduating from my university in 2024, I realized it was only the “dream” life on paper. Sure, I was making a solid salary and got to work on my own terms, but I was insecure, anxious, and sacrificing my morals for a paycheck.” This gives us further insight on how an influencer’s life actually looks like.
Ramli’s story shows how pressure from the outside can impact a person’s life and their mental health.
What is also worth mentioning is that being recognizable can make us lose our sense of identity. Another example of a similar experience is Amanda Bynes, a talented girl who started acting in commercials very young, at the age of 7. Later she joined the Nickelodeon crew and started working on many big projects such as: “The Amanda Show,” “Love Wrecked” and many more.
Some might think, “What could go wrong?”
Unfortunately all this social pressure, long working hours, and publicity made her mental health decline so badly that Bynes fell into drug addiction. However, these days she’s on her way to recovery and openly speaks about her struggles. She acknowledges that fame and pressure from the outside world not only led her to substance misuse but also caused her to lose herself.
Lastly, what I personally think has to be mentioned to anyone who wants to become a public figure, is that there is an almost unavoidable risk of getting hate. Criticism is something that’s been in the industry since the very beginning. Harsh internet critics often feel anonymous which drives them to spread harmful comments, with no consequences.
All these comments can affect a person so negatively that they might feel the need to commit suicide. This is a very heavy topic as they often think that taking their life is the only way to escape the negativity that surrounds them. It’s important to remember that everything that we write, or somebody else writes, can have a major impact on a person.
In the end social media can bring many advantages and disadvantages to one’s life. If you’re planning on becoming a celebrity or influencer, my advice would be to think about it. Recognition in the world is something that sounds very nice, but in reality comes with consequences that not everybody is ready for. It’s important to be cautious of what’s reality and what’s just false advertising and false media.
