Celebrities and celebrity culture is a very interesting section of our modern society. Our fascination with their lives and routines is what fuels shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," where the main point of interest is famous people going about their daily lives. Though fame and intense public scrutiny affects every celebrity, regardless of age, something that interests me in particular is the way children born into fame react to the stresses of notoriety. Stars like Jaden Smith and Kylie Jenner have basically been brought up under the public eye, and have had every move during their developmental years questioned and broadcasted to millions. Any mistake they make, any awkward moments are not only public, but captured and commented on.
Though societal pressure and beauty ideals are things every person (especially females) deals with while growing up, young celebrities are exposed to these intense standards earlier than normal. Whether it’s the media comparing them to other celebrities or other famous family members (such as Kylie getting compared to sister Kim), young celebrities most likely feel an immense pressure to live up to the expectations of society, no matter how unachievable they may be. I can’t fathom having to not only deal with my own body image issues or insecurities, but also hearing them echoed by random commenters or people online, as well as other problems I've never seen in myself. The media’s coverage of young celebrities during their early teenage years gives random people the power to influence these kids at an impressionable age, which is dangerous to say the least.
The added problems young celebrities face while growing up also partially explains why celebrity teenagers are often so daring in their fashion and life choices. Your teenage years are a time to take an introspective look at yourself, to figure out who you want to be. With so many people giving these celebrities a label, it’s understandable that they would have to work extra hard to give themselves the freedom of individuality and of making their own choices, from accessories to personality traits.
From my perspective, being brought up under the spotlight can be very concerning. The aforementioned public pressure can prove to be too much for many young celebrities to handle – many of our favorite child stars ended up having emotional and psychological problems, and some even turned to substance abuse. Not everyone is equipped to deal with the amount of negative feedback and criticism that comes with fame, and I for one can’t blame them. I also think that fame can make children grow up a bit too fast, since they have to deal with adult problems (such as intense negativity) at such an early age. With female celebrities in particular, I think famous young girls being sexualized too early can be very detrimental to their development and self-perception. Children deserve to keep their innocence and youth during their childhood, and sadly, that is a privilege not all famous children receive. So think about that the next time you start bashing Jaden Smith for his Batman prom suit.
