On social media, these days, fame comes as quickly as memes spread. Followers come at you as moths jump onto the flame. But this fame sometimes comes at a cost. The cost of bad behavior is immediate. Hence, social media fame is more fragile than any other.
The lust of social media is different. While a traditional celebrity, business, and brand like Charter Spectrum cable had to work for several years to get the recognition they deserve, celebrity-like influencers easily take advantage of bandwagon behaviors and network connectivity to spread their influence. This works well for fame which is based on fame with the ability to attract attention via appeal and zealous extroversion instead of traditional performance skills.
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The Ugly Side of Social Media Fame
Essena O’Neill, an Australian social media celeb who once thought she has found the perfect life decided to quit because of the ugly side of fame.
By the age of 18, she had a million followers on IG, 250+ subscribers on YouTube, and thousands of views on Snapchat. Fashion brands were showering her with free clothes in exchange for an Instagram post. She was making $2000 per month merely from YouTube videos. It was a dream (pre-teen) come true but this happiness was short-lived. She was actually miserable! She felt like she was living via a screen. She ended up creating a celebrity construct of herself thinking it will bring her happiness. The star revealed that behind that perfect bikini shot were hundreds of takes to find one perfect click. O’Neill revealed that the candid bikini shot she posted of herself on Instagram wasn’t really candid. She sucked in her stomach, had her breasts pushed up, and made a strategic pose. It was contrived perfection for getting attention.
She also confessed that the moment she woke up, she used to take dozens of selfies so that she had something to post about. Many times, she edited her selfies before posting them. She was addicted to validation. Now, the star is using her social media fame to educate youngsters about the reality of social media. She is revealing the artificial side of online happiness.
Things Social Media Fame Makes You Do
It’s time we discuss the dark side of social media fame and the things it makes us do…
Phone Obsession
As your followers’ count starts rising and the number of likes increase, so does your phone usage. You’re taking your phone everywhere. Before you know it, it becomes a full job and then an obsession.
Negativity
A troll comes out of nowhere and leaves a rude comment. There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism but some comments can be vile. They will hit your self-esteem, confidence and leave you devastated. Sometimes, it’s the backlash that you have to deal with, which is likely to result in emotional breakdowns one too many times.
Imposter Syndrome
Once you get fame, people assume you know what you are talking about. This has often led many to feel incompetent. They forget that a social media celebrity is also learning just like everyone else is. They forget that you aren’t an expert in everything.
Also, you could be sharing the knowledge you have gained but it may not always turn out to be correct.
The FOMO
Ask any social media influencer and they would tell you they subconsciously feel like they always need to be creating something. This habit is known as the productivity FOMO where you end up feeling worthless if you fail to make content.
Over Commitment
With the massive growth in opportunities, it’s easy to say yes to everything. As a result, these over-extended commitments make you burn out. The things that actually matter take a back seat and you are drowning in things you didn’t want to do in the first place.
Conclusion
Fame is easier to obtain than it was 10 years ago but social media has eventually discouraged many youngsters down the road. When there are no boundaries, online validation can quickly become your addiction and you tend to lose track of who you are and where you are headed.
Don’t be so quick at falling for the superficial world of fame. The ones who have fallen into the potholes are finding themselves stuck. With that being said, all that glitters is not gold.
