Sarah Morra (12) | STAFF REPORTER
In a society where celebrities’ “personal lives” are openly shared, the masses are conditioned to feel as though they have an intimate relationship with these individuals. The normalization of parasocial relationships is a product of the extreme consumerism that engulfs society and now plagues our youth. They are not our friends: it is time to wake up.
If one were to observe the comment section of any influencer or celebrity Instagram or TikTok, they’d immediately be overwhelmed by an influx of unsolicited opinions on the personal lives of these individuals. One might argue that with fame comes a lack of privacy as well as the imposition of strangers’ thoughts on your every move. However, when taking a closer look at the type of rhetoric that is used in these casual and conversational settings, you’d see something more peculiar.
“Oh girl, we are not doing that,” “obsessed with you,” “Let’s get you some better ghostwriters girl” are all comments found under posts of various celebrities such as Gracie Abrams, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish. The casual criticisms and collective passings of judgement as if they were advising or complimenting a dear friend illustrates the delusion of thousands. We are sold the idea that these celebrities are our friends, have our best interests at heart, and care what we think. However, it is clear that the idea of our proximity to these celebrities is a ploy to gauge our trust and support.
Young girls watch their favourite celebrities using a specific product or item and desire it themselves. The idea of celebrities and the wealthiest amongst our society being our friends is especially important to effectively encouraging consumerism within our society. They are not here to sell us products: many people, young girls and women especially, are buying into the idea of a certain lifestyle — one in which they replicate their favourite celebrity.
Despite the view that these individuals are our friends, role models or idols, they are not. As a society, we must put a stop to the idealization and promotion of parasocial relationships with celebrities. They are not in connection with their fans: their fans are simply mobilizing their ability to further attain wealth & promote their overall brand. This only puts impressionable youth at a detriment as they strive for a certain lifestyle through continual purchase rather than through authentic experiences.
There has been an immense disconnect between reality and fantasy due to the digital age. There seems to be a much smaller barrier between millions of fans all over the world and their favourite artists, actors, musicians, and influencers. As we slowly inch closer to the romanticized version of our favourites we slowly slip away from our grasp on the real world. So now it is time to wake up and realize — they are not our friends.
