Scrolling through a virtual world, we are spectators of something unexpected. From our opinions to our aspirations, the attractive world of the media controls every aspect of our lives. Living in the center of this influential world, celebrities are the root of the effect.

Underneath all the glamor and extravaganza lies a complex web of influence; and as their fame grows, so does their responsibility and influence. While some accept this new challenge with open arms, others struggle to tackle all the pressure accompanying the power.

The growing influence of celebrities can be associated with the continuous growth of the social media platforms, which allow celebrities to cultivate vast audiences worldwide. In the last decade, social media platforms were able to increase their user base from 1.43 billion to over 4.7 billion users [1]. Celebrities can communicate their values, opinions, and sponsorships with this new and direct contact with fans. This popularity growth has caught big companies’ attention, which is why they are going after celebrities. Companies are starting to utilize sophisticated psychological tactics to market their products by touching human desires through their favorite celebrities. Many celebrities accept lucrative sponsorships for financial gain but fail to see the psychological aspect of the agreement. Simply put, when normal citizens see their favorite stars endorse a product, they do the same -- for better or worse.

Multiple psychological factors contribute to why humans are influenced. One of these key factors is the principle of social proof, which the psychologist Robert Cialdini summarized. His principle proposes that people are more likely to follow the actions and opinions of others, and humans do this when they recognize something similar to them or someone who seems like an expert in that criteria. Solomon Asch conducted Evidence supporting these claims before Cialdini’s time in the 1950s.

During this experiment, Asch asked the participants to match the length of lines, and even though the correct answer was obvious, the participants complied with the incorrect judgments of others. This showcases how social norms and the desire to fit in are powerful, influential tools. These biases can make us vulnerable to the marketing we see with our favorite celebrities. David Beckham -- star athlete and business model -- works with Lay’s chips, so they must not be bad for people. Wrong; we know that potato chips are one of the worst foods for us, but because we see a superstar eating them, we subconsciously believe they are not that unhealthy.

Influence is an inseparable part of our daily lives, penetrating every aspect, from the merchandise we buy to the opinions we hold. Understanding manipulation is the first step in making good consumer choices. Just because someone sees their favorite movie star or athlete on the cover of a box does not make it a “good” product. It is imperative that buyers dig deeper into the purchases they make to ensure they are getting items through their own will, instead of manipulation.

<Nicole Kim Los Alamitos High School / 10th Grade>