In the golden age of social media, celebrities’ lives are constantly blasted to the world all over the internet. Paparazzi expose their most intimate moments by posting photos and writing about their every move. With a single search, anyone can find photos of Chrissy Teigen grocery shopping, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber on a date or a post about Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy.
With Hollywood projecting famous people’s lives on every platform possible, the public is regularly intaking the behavior of these pop culture stars. Celebrities influence the younger generation, intentional or not. Teenagers buy Kanye West’s shoe brand, Yeezys, and plump their lips to achieve the famous Kylie Jenner full-lip look. With so much influence, should celebrities be good role models for the youth? Rapper Cardi B. has some thoughts to share.
Female music artist, Cardi B., has recently blown up with the release of her song “Bodak Yellow.” On her Instagram post on February 8th, she writes, “I’m not trying to be this ‘ROLE MODEL’ to these young girls because I’m very rated R and I’m not a perfect person.” Cardi B continues, “I wouldn’t want to change for nobody neither.” Her stance is that she shouldn’t have to censor herself just because her life is put out there for everyone to assess. She does recognize her words have power though, and says, “I want to let them know that dreams really do come true with hard work and prayer!”
On the other hand, other celebrities try to set a good example for the youth through their actions, such as actress and singer Zendaya Coleman. Zendaya is an open advocate for black rights and women’s rights, and she encourages changes in education as well. She utilizes her social media to speak on important issues, posting, “Trans People Are Not A Burden,” on Instagram, or advocating education on Twitter:
Zendaya tweets regularly about relevant news issues, such as the ongoing slavery in Libya or African American successes, such as the high representation of the African American population in the upcoming movie, “Black Panther.” However, she not only posts on social media, but she turns her words into actions, showing the youth that they can voice their own opinions too. She participated in the Women’s March in Washington D.C. after Trump’s inauguration, and she wore her hair in an afro on the Red Carpet to remind the audience of the importance of representing of African Americans.
Celebrities have opposing viewpoints on whether or not they should be role models for the youth. Some are like Cardi B., who want to live their own lives without worrying about their impact on others, and some are like Zendaya, who want to use their platform to speak on issues important to them. It is the public’s responsibility to determine which type of celebrities’ behavior they want to follow.
Celebrities should recognize that they have a big following and can greatly influence the public. They should try to set good examples for the youth who are highly impressionable while still being true to themselves.
