The day the 1989 album came out, October 27, 2014, my friends and I were discussing about how beautiful, talented, and cool Taylor Swift was. We wished we could be exactly like her. I started wondering why we were wasting our entire lunch time talking about being someone were not, and I realized we live in a society that is obsessed with the lives of celebrities. The lives of these famous people are socialized through the media and tabloids. Our imaginations are captured by the lifestyle of the rich and famous. As teenagers like me, are still forming their identity, we are vulnerable to the negative influences that the lifestyle of these celebrities portray. Although celebrities have had positive influences on teens, we should not underestimate the negative influences that celebrities have on our society, such as reckless behaviour, low self-esteem, and eating disorders.

While the negative influence that celebrities have on teenagers is obvious, it’s surprising to see that this also extends down to younger kids. My little brother and his friends, who are in the second grade, use language and expressions which are far beyond their years and inappropriate for their age. Based on a Newsweek poll, 77 percent of Americans believed that celebrities have too much of an influence on the appearance and attitudes of young girls today. “One poll participant, a first-grade teacher, even noticed her students using derogatory language, singing suggestive song lyrics, and even flirting with each other.” Celebrities like Snooki, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Justin Bieber are horrible role models as they portray reckless behaviours and disregard for common respect. Ideally, teens and young kids should not be exposed to such behaviours. 

Teenage years are important formative years for adolescents.  As “Self consciousness peaks in teenage years,” they are susceptible to their role models. Fifty three percent of American girls at the age of thirteen, are unhappy with their bodies. The media’s portrayal of these “flawless” celebrities have developed high expectations that teenagers have on their own physical appearance. Excessive exposure to this kind of media influence can lead to negative impacts on teenagers. My friends often fantasise and wish they had the bodies of their favorite celebrities. They spend an awful amount of time putting on makeup to satisfy their expectations. A 1996 study discovered that the time spent on media has a correlation with the level of body dissatisfaction. The study reinforces that it is important for teenagers to have good role models to help form their views of themselves.

More concerningly, body dissatisfaction in teenagers can often lead to serious negative health consequences. “Eating disorders usually start in the teens but may begin as early as age eight.” A survey reports that forty percent of nine and ten-year-old girls have tried to lose weight. It’s unbelievable that these girls are worrying about their weight. At that age all I remembered was asking for the biggest cup of ice cream. These disturbing statistics prove that celebrity media influences are powerful and can extend beyond teenagers, to the more impressionable younger age groups. Vulnerable teenagers and younger kids should stay away from this kind of media, portraying ridiculously thin or muscular celebrities.

Not all celebrities, however, are “out of control” and portray negative images on adolescents. People like Oprah Winfrey and Charlize Theron have created social programs, academies, and philanthropic projects, providing scholarships to students, education to south African girls, and keeping African youth safe from AIDS. These women are great examples of amazing and inspiring role models and have a tremendous amount of positive influence on adolescents. Unfortunately, however, these fantastic accomplishments are overshadowed by celebrity gossip. The only information we get from the lives of these superstars is through the media and tabloids. Today's society demands for scandals and rumours to make the headlines instead of the charity events and humanitarian trips.

Clearly, celebrities have played a prominent role in my life and other lives of teenagers. While they have had positive influences, studies have proven celebrities have also had negative influences on teenagers. Those who are negatively affected by celebrities through change of behaviour, increasing self-consciousness, and developing eating disorders, should really question whether or not to continue being frequent users of this kind of media content. In order to prevent the risks associated with the lifestyles of celebrities, access to such media and tabloids should be censored from kids and teenagers.