Today our language and actions are affected by influencers across the globe, pioneers in their craft. To the naked eye, it is quite incredible to see what these influencers are capable of when it comes to promoting their ideals to their audiences, several which seem to truly catch the eyes of several students.
As for why certain influencers are so awe-inspiring comes down to several key factors, one of them being their ability to voice their opinion on problems in society according to junior Antonio Payton.
“I think that they’re some celebrities who speak out on certain things that I personally find important,” Payton said. “And I think that’s good because it creates an impact and brings attention to those things that are important to other people too.”
Because of their large numbers of listeners, celebrities and influencers alike are better able to get their voices out to other people who might agree with them. This in turn can inspire viewers to spread the message further, and possibly even invite change into the issue being advocated for.
For Payton, Canadian rapper Drake comes especially to mind, reason being because of his attitude towards his own successes as well as his audience.
“He’s just a funny guy and he doesn’t really care what people think about him,” Payton said. “He knows that people may talk about him or the things he does, but he continues to do great things.”
Though when it comes to celebrity influence, how much of an impact does celebrity culture have on students?
Although the question seems like a simple answer, it goes much deeper than one might think. While some might think celebrity culture positively impacts students, there are others who think the effects are negative as well. However for senior Jack Koch, the fine line between positive and negative can have one foot in each when it comes to celebrity influence.
“I think that it could be positive and negative at the same time depending on what their views are,” Koch said. “But nine times out of ten a person is going to go with their favorite [celebrity] and their opinions.”
As for what parts of daily life celebrities have the most influence on students, Koch mentioned how style is an important element of celebrity culture, which might appeal to students.
“When it comes to the way they act, the way they dress, and what they listen to,” Koch said. “Most of people’s political views or their thought process has to do with who they follow and who they keep up with.”
However despite having a role model to admire and take inspiration from, there are several students who would rather not take their idol’s views to heart but build off of them in their own unique way, such as junior Leymar Canales.
“I try to blaze my own trail,” Canales said. “I definitely take inspiration but I don’t try to be exactly like them.”
When it comes to their place in life, Canales would rather see the world with their own eyes instead of the eyes of others. Although having different perspectives is important, it most definitely isn’t everything.
“We can definitely be inspired by these people but we can also be negatively affected because we rely too much on the fact that ‘Oh, they’re doing it too, so it’s ok if I do it, but that’s not true’ ,” Canales said.
In the end, celebrities definitely have a way with their audiences, whether it be influencing them to take a specific viewpoint or inspiring them to make their own choices, and serve as a stepping stone to lift others to new heights.
“There are some celebrities that do like to do good things, and people usually know that the things are not right or stupid,” Payton said. “But then there are some things that celebrities may like to put out there and students might take that into consideration.”
