Celebrities, especially movie and television stars, have been revered by their fans across decades. Every major celebrity has created a sort of culture around their public image. Fans are an important part of creating and maintaining this culture.
The past decade has led to the exponential rise of social media use. Celebrities that were formerly restricted by geophysical barriers and limited technology can now reach almost anyone, anywhere.
Thus, social media has had a critical impact on celebrity culture.
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Discover the different ways social media has had a profound impact on celebrity culture.
These impacts have shaped and altered the culture in new ways.
Opportunity to Directly Engage with Fans
Earlier fan interactions with celebrities used to be limited and controlled for the safety of the celebrity and the fan. Something that was generally limited to a small wave or a handshake has now become a chance at full-on collaboration.
Celebrities are mostly registered on all major platforms. These platforms allow celebrities to post daily updates, interact and discuss with fans, and share a part of their personal lives.
The Impact
It has created a sense of closeness and a tight knit community where fans who are followers are in the “inner circle”. It allows for the celebrity to develop a personal brand and image and lets them directly communicate it with their supporters.
Direct Access to Feedback and Trends
A celebrity is always open to all types of comments whether they like it or not. With social media, the number of comments has increased more than tenfold.
Even the most minute actions of large celebrities are met with a barrage of comments discussing the incident. Additionally, social media has the ability to take this incident and turn it viral in just a few days.
The Impact
The virality of a video depends on either how positive or negative the incident is. Unfortunately for celebrities, negative content tends to generate more responses in social media. Thus, paparazzi and others who capture the celebrity’s life try and get such content.
Every move must be made strategically and in a calculative manner. In this way, the celebrity must be cautious and is even expected to maintain patience in unfavorable situations.
Influencing Public Opinion
A celebrity has a greater reach and a wider audience on social media. Every move made by them has an impact. But the ones made in full notice about social issues, politics, fashion, sports and more have greater influence on the public.
The Impact
Celebrities can leverage different platforms to shape the public’s opinion on certain matters. In a positive sense, it can be used to promote awareness towards social issues. In other scenarios, there is a risk of spreading misinformation or worse.
