What would you do for fame? It is a question that many people find themselves being asked without realizing it. Would you swallow a spoonful of cinnamon and hold it in your mouth for as a long as possible? Would you try to snort a condom and then pull it out of your mouth? Would you eat a tide pod?

These are obviously extreme examples of what people do for fame, yet it is a testament to how our society is obsessed with achieving a status that is elevated to those around us. Likes, retweets, and friend count are the new measures of success, showing us who is making it and who isn’t. We are willing to transform ourselves into different people and sometimes do questionable things in the name of getting views and likes.

Whether these are more conscious decisions like joining in on the latest challenge video or slowly making changes so that we look like our favorite celebrity, we strive to be more like them, rather than striving to be better. If you are making these changes because it is something that will bring you joy, go ahead. But does eating a tide pod really make you happy?

Although this might be escalated by the internet, this attempt to copy fame and the famous is not a new thing. When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis became the First Lady, her hairstyle and fashion cues began to be copied by the masses. The same can be seen throughout the generations with people like Britney Spears, Twiggy, Marilyn Monroe and many others.

As humans it makes sense that we want to be accepted, but when did that become synonymous with being famous or popular. When was it more important how many likes a picture got compared to if you liked it or not. Or wether or not a video got you views compared to if it is dangerous or not. When did everyone else become more important than peoples own perception of themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I still ask my friends if a picture is cute before I post it, I still take style cues from celebrities, and I still watch those stupid challenge videos. But I pride myself as someone who values my own opinion of myself more than what @ilovecats99 thinks of me. We can still enjoy celebrities and fame without being obsessed with it.

So society, do you want to snort a condom or do you want to just focus on yourself?