Which celebrities do you follow on social media? Have you ever had a poster of a singer or a footballer on your bedroom wall?

The way we think about famous people can have a real impact – for good and for bad. Maybe you spend your money on an outfit you saw your favourite actress in, or the boots your favourite footballer wears – even if your parents tell you not to. 

But then maybe you’ve been inspired to vote, or you’ve felt able to stand up against racism or sexism, because of something your favourite pop star has said. When you can quickly find out what celebrities think about every issue through social media and the Internet, it’s easy to feel a really strong connection with them.

And it’s not just about wanting to be like a famous person – it’s more complicated than that. Dr Ruth Scobie is an expert in celebrity throughout history and says that thinking of famous people just as role models for young people to copy is too simple.

“Fans use celebrities as a way of exploring their feelings, how they relate to people, what kind of person they want to be, what kind of friends they want to have [and] their sexuality,” she says.

It takes a village

Dr Scobie points out that when people used to live in extended families and big communities, young people had lots of adults to watch and learn from. Now that people live in small family groups, celebrities in the media have gone some way to replacing those other grown-ups.

“It’s a new village of people that you can look at and go, ‘I’d like to be like that person’ or ‘That relationship isn’t working’ – you can talk about marriage, you can talk about how people relate to each other, all those kinds of issues through these imaginary relationships,” she says.

In fact, Dr Scobie thinks that learning from celebrities might be more useful in some ways than learning from people in everyday life.

“I can go back to any newspaper in the 18th century... and there will still be complaints that young people just want to be in the newspapers.”

“The advantage of celebrity is it’s people who are outside your personal experience,” she says. “For a child growing up in a rural community where everyone looks the same, celebrity offers people of different races, different sexualities, behaving in different ways… it offers some ideas about how they can be and opens up all these possibilities.”

Dr Scobie says it’s important for young people to see themselves represented in the media and in positions of power – and a broad range of celebrities can do this. Beyonce has led campaigns against racism and sexism and has been a big supporter of education. Lady Gaga has been really vocal in discussing sex and sexuality. That means that just in the world of pop music alone, there are some new, different, incredibly successful role models available to them.

The fame game

This might all sound a bit strange – after all, every time The X Factor or The Voice is on television, there are noisy complaints about young people just wanting to be famous, and celebrities being bad examples for them to follow.

Scobie is quick to add that none of this is new. 

“It's not new for there to be complaints about how young people just want to be famous and it’s all very shallow,” she reveals. “I can go back to any newspaper in the 18th century, particularly around the end of the 18th century, which is quite a long time ago, and there will still be complaints that young people just want to be in the newspapers.”

The media’s interest in famous people isn’t new either – and nor is the way they report about them, whether that’s positive or negative. In fact, Scobie says that actresses in the 17th and 18th century were talked about in a similar way to how the Kardashians are talked about today; she describes it as “exaggerated, over-the-top loathing”.

Kim Kardashian backstage at The Heart Truths Red Dress Collection 2010.

And over the past centuries, celebrities’ high profile and their work have helped young people to deal with problems in their own lives. Dr Scobie mentions the poetry of Lord Byron, famous for his love affairs with men and women, as an example. 

“In the 19th century, there’s a diary by a woman who was a lesbian, who didn’t have any concept of that,” says Dr Scobie. “She’s really into Byron as this figure who can provide some kind of model of how to not be the same as everybody else.”

Portrait of Lord Byron by Henry Pierce Bone

It’s clear that a lot of people look up to celebrities – but should you take their advice or copy their behaviour? Perhaps the people you know best and have your interests at heart – i.e. your friends and family – would be better role models for you. What do you think?
 

Some people worry that young people are just too influenced by celebrities. But lots of celebs use their status to promote causes or raise money for charity. For example, every year celebs appear on Comic Relief and Red Nose Day to persuade people to donate millions of pounds to charity. 

It’s less clear whether celebrities like Kim Kardashian - famous for being famous - are positive role models. Or footballers caught cheating on their wives or girlfriends, or speeding in their latest super cars. But psychologists have shown that celebrity talk with our friends can sometimes serve an important social purpose. 

Celebrities spark useful debate

Some researchers think that celebrity talk is a way for young people to discuss big moral and ethical questions, like domestic violence, drugs, mental health and sex and relationships. Celeb talk is part of how we share our ideas and values on all sorts of topics. In the past, mythology and the Bible served a similar function for many people. 

An example is Meghan Trainor’s song “All About That Bass”. It sparked off debates about body image, an important topic for lots of young people. Some people think the song celebrates curvy women. So often celebs are skinny, yet here is a song celebrating women who “ain’t no size two” and telling them not to worry about their weight, “yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size.” Other people interpret this song differently arguing that it shames skinny people. Whatever your opinion is, it’s clear that songs like this can become talking points about big issues in society. 

Celebs can affirm your identity

People often look up to celebrity and sport heroes that affirm their identities, like their nationality, ethnicity or gender. For example, Nadiya Hussain who won Great British Bake Off, might help affirm the identities of some British Muslim women. The footballer Rio Ferdinand might also be a role model for people who have suffered from mental health problems. As part of a big mental health campaign in 2017 led by Prince William, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton, he spoke out about his experiences with mental health after his wife died. The rapper Professor Green has also spoken up about his experiences with anxiety and losing his Dad to suicide. Knowing celebs have had similar experiences to you can be really comforting.

Celebs and social groups

Liking the same celebs as other people can also be a way of making friends. Being part of a fan group can feel like you’re part of a community- whether the fan group is online or just you and some mates at school liking the same footballers or bands. Admiring the same celebs as someone else can be a way of making friends or forming closer ties with your existing friends. Hating the same celebs can also unite people! Maybe you and your mates all hate Justin Bieber, or maybe it’s One Direction or Simon Cowell! 

Whichever celebs you and your friends love, or love to hate, celebs can be an important way of showing social affiliations or social groups. Psychologists who study group behaviour have found that having the same values and ideals as others is one way that friendships and group identities form. Liking or hating the same celebs can unite groups, bringing them closer together and providing a talking point to discuss wider issues like morals and world views. 

Within groups, there can be pressure to conform. We often feel the need to fit in with those around us, and can find our attitudes, beliefs and behaviours become more similar to those of our friends over time. You might notice this happening or it might be unconscious. Over time you’re more likely to start liking or hating the same celebs as your friends- or maybe you’ll pretend to like/hate them when you’re with your friends but privately hold a different view! As celebs are such an important part of teenage culture, it’s certainly hard to avoid the topic!

So is celeb talk just a waste of time or does it serve some important social functions? What do you think?