Ye Wint Phone San, 4/7
Popularity – a constant struggle for teens and young adults to achieve. Everyone wants it but not everyone knows how to get it. Those who are lost on how to be popular often emulate those who have already made it big, the celebrities. In this day and age, youths are desperate and yearn for attention. They mimic what their idols do in order to gain that little ounce of fame and glory. However, just because someone is famous does not mean he or she is someone to be followed.
There are teens who dream of a life as a youtuber, live-streamer or social media influencers. To them, these unorthodox jobs look easy and have incredible benefits. They believe that they can just film themselves playing video games or post a selfie of themselves and become overnight celebrities. In their blind chase for fame, they do not acknowledge the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to be successful in this sector. Marketing yourself, finding sponsors and having to stay relevant are often not the first things that come to someone’s mind when starting this career. Another issue that is often hidden is the mental damage that working in this environment could cause. Mental resilience is crucial when working on the internet where toxicity is rampant. Teens end up chasing an unrealistic dream, only to have them shattered due to their inexperience and lack of knowledge.
Then, there are those who realise their personality does not fit the camera. Their solution? Fabricating an entirely different online persona to cater to their audience. These teens put up an act whenever they are online just for a shot at fame. Some even imitate the style of already famous celebrities to try and satisfy their fans. They end up losing their sense of identity, questioning which version of them is the authentic one. They start feeling empty and soulless but still put up a front for the camera. However, as soon as the camera turns off and their faux identity is gone, they no longer feel alive. To make matters worse, there are toxic celebrities whom youngsters imitate. Drinking and doing drugs are a “personality trait” to them and their fans follow suit. Those who imitate these toxic celebrities end up adopting dangerous habits such as the above mentioned drinking and doing drugs.
However, not all celebrities are bad. In fact, many are shining role models of people to follow. Actors Terry Crews and Keanu Reeves are examples of how even with a traumatic past, one can break free from it and be successful. Tech giant Bill Gates is the perfect example of humility and morality. Despite being one of the richest and most famous in the world, he still stays down to earth, donating around forty percent of his salary to health research and charities yearly. Imitating the right people can be very beneficial to not the imitator but also the people around him or her.
This shows that fame and imitation are not always bad. It just requires preparation, being true to yourself and a good role model to follow. The negative aspects only manifest and hurt those who are ignorant and unprepared. Ego also comes with fame and as Bill Gates has shown, it is important to stay humble.
Writers by the River 