Why are people obsessed with celebrities
People who are obsessed with celebrities tend to score lower on measures of cognitive ability
Cognitive performance is slightly reduced among those with higher levels of celebrity worship, according to a new study published in BMC Psychology.
“Interest in the topic of celebrity worshipers spans almost two decades. From several studies, over that period, research showed a weak to moderate tendency for those who showed the strongest admiration for their favorite celebrity to have lower cognitive skills, using a variety of cognitive measures,” explained study authors Lynn E. McCutcheon, Ágnes Zsila, and Zsolt Demetrovics in a joint statement to PsyPost.
“However, most of these studies did not control for a variety of extraneous variables. The current study did control for several possibly relevant variables.”
In the study, 1,763 Hungarian adults completed a 30-word vocabulary test and a digit symbol substitution test, a validated assessment of fluid intelligence. The researchers also collected data about the participants’ self-esteem, current family income, material wealth, and highest level of education.
Celebrity worship was measured using a scientific questionnaire known as the Celebrity Attitude Scale. The scale asks participants the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements such as “I often feel compelled to learn the personal habits of my favorite celebrity,” “I am obsessed by details of my favorite celebrity’s life,” and “If I were lucky enough to meet my favorite celebrity, and he/she asked me to do something illegal as a favor I would probably do it.”
Even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables, the researchers found that high scores on the Celebrity Attitude Scale were associated with lower performance on the two cognitive ability tests.
“We found a weak tendency for those who showed the strongest admiration for their favorite celebrity to have lower cognitive skills, suggesting that the earlier results were not due just to chance,” the authors of the study said.
“Our results also support previous findings showing that excessive behaviors such as celebrity worshiping can possibly impair cognitive functioning, presumably due to the increased focus and energy invested in this behavior that becomes dominant in the individual’s life.”
“Although celebrity admiration seems not to be a strong precursor of poorer cognitive performance, high levels of admiration can be regarded as one contributing factor to lowered performance in tasks requiring cognitive effort, independently from education or age.”
But it is unclear whether celebrity worship is the cause or consequence of reduced cognitive ability. For example, it “may be that individuals with higher levels of cognitive skills are more likely to understand the marketing strategies behind a famous person,” and thus less vulnerable to celebrity worship, the researchers explained. But it is also possible that celebrity worship functions like an addictive behavior and requires cognitive effort to be maintained.
Previous research has found that celebrity worship is associated with addictive and problematic social media use.
“Future studies should seek further support for our suggestion that the cognitive effort invested in maintaining the absorption in a favorite celebrity may interfere with the person’s performance in tasks that require attention and other cognitive skills,” the authors told PsyPost. “Although our research does not prove that developing a powerful obsession with one’s favorite celebrity causes one to score lower on cognitive tests, it suggests that it might be wise to carefully monitor feelings for one’s favorite celebrity, keeping in mind that most celebrities are human beings who have some flaws just like average persons have.”
The study, “Celebrity worship and cognitive skills revisited: applying Cattell’s two-factor theory of intelligence in a cross-sectional study“, was published November 8, 2021.
Why Gen Z Is More Obsessed With Celebrities Than Any Other Age Group
A new study has found Generation Z is more obsessed with celebrities than their older counterparts.
The research discovered people between the ages of 18-24 became fixated with one or more celebrities at 12 times the rate of their parents' generation.
The report by The Mental Health Million Project at Sapien Labs, a not-for-profit organization based in the Washington D.C. area, surveyed 148,398 people from 19 English-speaking countries and found Gen Z living with debilitating obsessive and intrusive thoughts.
Kim Kardashian (main) attends as Tiffany & Co. celebrates the launch of the Lock Collection at Sunset Tower Hotel on October 26, 2022 in Los Angeles. Young people are likely to become more obsessed with celebrities given their relationship with the online world (inset image). Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images North AmericaMany young people faced unwanted thoughts around their relationships with others, something negative that happened in the past or something negative that could happen in the future.
Social psychologist Ruth Sims from the University of Derby in England told Newsweek Gen Z was likely to be more obsessed with celebrities because it has unprecedented access to them compared to the generations before them.
"The difference these days... it is just the amount of information that's out there," Sims explained.
"Back in the day you'd have fan clubs for celebrities and they'd put out a magazine three times a year... and that was it, unless they [the celebrities] happened to be on the news or something that was as much as you found out."
But now celebrities have much more frequent exposure and direct contact with their fans through social media and the 24-hour news cycle, making it "easier to know every little detail of somebody's life," from what they had for breakfast or even what their bedroom looked like, according to Sims.
She mused that the more celebrities and influencers "feed their fans, the more their fans want to know."
Tara Thiagarajan, chief scientist at Sapien Labs, agreed.
"Older generations grew up with in-person social groups and celebrity information only available sporadically in print publications. The social frameworks they developed during childhood were therefore different which likely drove how they now interact with information about people on the internet," she told Newsweek.
Thiagarajan explained that as a result, older generations are usually better at making a "distinction between in-person and virtual relationships."
"The lack of strong in-person relationships coupled with the continuous stream of information about or from a celebrity on Instagram and social media may therefore make them more prone to obsessive behavior," she added about 18-24 year olds.
The risk of becoming obsessed with a celebrity also stems from the fact that "humans are generally quite nosy" and have a need for "social comparison."
Sims explained that "even if we realistically know we're never going to be like the Kardashians" we can ogle their lifestyles and possessions.
"The younger generations in particular spend so much of their time online and are sharing details of their own lives, whether it's on YouTube, TikTok or whatever," she said.
For young people it's natural to document and share most moments of their lives, and also track what other people are up to.
Fixating on celebrities also has a lot to do with the stage of someone's development and comes at a time for young people when they're discovering themselves and also pushing the boundaries of their known world.
Sims described it as a "perfect storm" between natural curiosity and what's going on in their bodies both emotionally and developmentally that can lead to an unhealthy obsession.
The academic warned parents not to interrogate or punish their children for the behavior, but rather to have conversations with them about the curated nature of social media.
"Just try to ground them a little bit in critical thinking," Sims suggested, further telling parents they could explain to their kids that while they might feel they know a celebrity well, they were only getting part of the story the celebrity wanted you to see.
Parents should talk with their children about filters, and also how celebrities and influencers are paid to endorse products online.
The research findings also help to give insight into mental health outcomes and could help parents understand their kids better, according to Thiagarajan.
"They [the findings] provide a view of the mental challenges that the younger generations are facing that are not typically considered in mental health assessments and in traditional mental health disorder paradigms," she said.
The researchers at The Mental Health Million Project found that Gen Z's dependence on social media to understand the world and interact with others was "exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Gen Z was the first generation to grow up in a fully internet-connected world, which means most of their relationships play out online, rather than in person.
According to its research, the frequency of in-person socializing may have decreased by almost five times compared to their parents' generation.
The consequences of that is a likely "diminished capability for navigating social situations including appropriately interpreting the behavior of others, resolving conflict, and regulating social expectations."
Furthermore, increased online interaction leads to "distortion of the natural mechanisms of reciprocal human bonding.
"
Humans are designed to bond and interact with methods such as eye contact, body language mirroring, physical touch and even olfactory cues.
Without this learning, young people could become confused or experience unstable bonding in interpersonal relationship and is a likely explainer for the increase in celebrity obsessions.
Having insight into the life of someone you don't know physically can also lead to a distortion of the perceived connection you have with them.
Young people can feel they have bonded with their favorite celebrities simply because they follow them and know intimate details about their lives.
"One can get constant information about them with social media, which makes people feel they 'know' them," Thiagarajan said.
"People have a natural interest in the lives of others and coupled with factors like loneliness this can lead to fixations."
Why We Love Celebrities: An Anthropologist's Answer
Why are we so obsessed with celebrities? Because of the evolutionary nature of their brains, argues anthropologist Jamie Tegrani.
I like aphorisms.
One of my favorites is from Mark Twain: "Sorry for the long letter - I didn't have time for a short one."
I often apologize in this way to friends and colleagues for my sophistication. This is an accurate and subtle observation. It would seem, purely Twain.
But it doesn't belong to Twain. I was recently told that the real author of the quote is the lesser-known French thinker Blaise Pascal. I checked - indeed, Pascal used these words in a letter to his colleague as early as 1657.
And it turns out that I was wrong not only about this quote.
I think many have heard Einstein's brilliant aphorism: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but each time expecting a different result." This is perhaps the most famous phrase of the great physicist after "E = mc ²".
But there is no evidence that he spoke it. These words were first printed in a 1981 Addicts Anonymous pamphlet, almost 25 years after Einstein's death.
And there are many similar examples.
Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin and Martin Luther King did not say, probably, even half of what they are credited with. After all, quotes sound more weighty when they are put into the mouths of witty and wise men.
This is normal. Attributing smart ideas to prominent people is just an example of a more general trend: putting celebrities on a pedestal.
Caption before photo,Albert Einstein and Mark Twain did not say the phrases that are attributed to them
Fame is a powerful cultural magnet. As hypersocial beings, we get most of our knowledge and skills by copying others, not by trial and error.
And at the same time - we pay more attention to the behavior of famous people than ordinary members of the community.
It turns out that various phenomena are more likely to succeed if they are associated with someone famous - even if by mistake? Perhaps the one who speaks is no less important than the meaning of what was said?
Another example of how "cultural magnets" work: we often copy features of famous people that are not directly related to their success, such as clothes, hairstyles, speeches.
That's why companies use stars to advertise. Celebrities are always in the public eye, and if they wear your jeans or watch, the public will notice.
But it's not just about getting as many people as possible to see your products. From a picture on television or in a newspaper, you won't know what kind of underpants Beckham is wearing or what kind of perfume Beyoncé is wearing.
Celebrities promote such products because business people know that fame actively influences our perception of values. Celebrities make products not only visible, but desirable.
But why? It is believed that celebrity culture emerged relatively recently, that it is a product of the media and atomized society.
This phenomenon is indeed modern, but it is based on deep human instincts - instincts that played a key role in the emergence of our culture and allowed our species to successfully evolve.
It's about prestige.
This is one of the forms of social status, based on respect and admiration from the members of the community. It is of great interest to anthropologists because it is a unique characteristic of our species. In addition, this phenomenon is universal, that is, one that exists in every human community.
In other primates, social hierarchies are built predominantly on dominance. It differs from prestige in that it is based on fear and violence.
Ordinary members of the community submit to dominant animals because getting in their way is a challenge to their status, which they will defend by force. Many human hierarchies are also based on dominance.
But in addition, we also have a system of prestige, which is maintained voluntarily. The status of prestige is assigned to individuals for their achievements in a certain area, and is not established by force.
Photo caption,Social hierarchies in other primates are predominantly based on dominance
Where did this phenomenon come from? The most convincing theory is that it is one of a number of devices by which we have been able to learn.
At some point, our ancestors began to notice and reward individuals with exceptional skills, as well as to learn from them.
Thanks to this, individual discoveries (for example, knowledge about the healing properties of herbs or the optimal design of weapons) could spread throughout the population, as well as be inherited. Each next generation used and improved the wisdom of their ancestors.
Therefore, in general, the tendency to imitate talents is useful. But sometimes it makes us copy unimportant and sometimes harmful features.
Why? Because this ability of ours is very general: we adopt role models in general, and not specific knowledge or skills. That is why this tool is so flexible and powerful: the traits that make a person successful are different in different circumstances, so it makes sense to copy someone who excelled in something at a certain time and in a certain place.
That's why we adopt the entire behavioral complex of famous people, in particular those traits that have nothing to do with their success.
For example, men can observe that a real hunter, making stone arrowheads, says some spells. And they will accept this ritual along with its stone processing technique.
In my opinion, this explains our interest in what people wear, what they drive or where they shop.
Caption before photo,In ancient societies it was considered prestigious, for example, hunting skills
In the past, minor traits that we adopted from leaders were compensated by useful ones. Therefore, in the long run, it was an effective and adaptive strategy.
But does it remain so today? I'm not sure.
The world today is very different from the one in which our brains evolved, and I believe that the initially beneficial tendency to imitate leaders has degenerated into an unhealthy obsession with celebrities who get much more attention than they deserve.
Let me give you an analogy with food. Our ancestors developed a love for sweets and fats because it stimulated them to get ripe fruits and nutrient-rich meats.
But in today's world with its mass production of confectionery and intensive agriculture, this trait of ours only leads to an epidemic of obesity and related diseases.
The media is the same junk food for the brain: fast, convenient, but not healthy. We consume images of wealth and success because they satisfy our craving for prestige. But are current celebrities really worthy of emulation?
By asking this question, I'm not referring to the scandalous antics of drunken actors or football players. No, I'm interested in a general problem: what is the purpose of the modern celebrity phenomenon?
In ancient societies, the list of role models was clearly defined: master hunters or gatherers, good parents, perhaps experts in rituals.
But in our society, with its complex class system, division of labor and mixture of cultures, the criteria for success are much more varied and less transparent. Many celebrities have succeeded in areas that we are unlikely to ever try our hand at, such as professional sports or music.
But we imitate them anyway, because our brains are programmed to associate prestige with adaptive behavior. And since fame is the main sign of prestige, the more attention the stars receive, the more it is attracted.
No wonder that fame has ceased to have a practical purpose. In today's world, it's not so important what you become famous for, fame is an end in itself.
And although celebrities are now wildly popular - more than ever in human history, we often hear that they should not be imitated.
But what are they for if they are no longer role models?
Why do we give them prestige if they do not benefit us?
Looking for answers to these questions, it would not hurt to remember the words of Samuel Johnson: "A name is one of the few things that cannot be bought. It is a free gift of mankind, which is received for merit."
At least I think these are the words of Johnson.
Interest in celebrities reduces mental capacity
Society
January 08, 2022, 15:05
New York Post: scientists have found that people obsessed with celebrities are less intelligent
RIA Novosti
. This conclusion was reached by Hungarian scientists after the study. According to psychologists, information that does not bring any benefit to the brain is to blame for everything. Showbiz news does not develop thinking, although someone else's life always seems more interesting.
The results of the study by Hungarian scientists appeared in the journal BMC Psychology. The work of experts has shown that people who are obsessed with Hollywood gossip and celebrities are not very smart.
A total of 1763 adult residents of the country participated in the study. First, they took tests on vocabulary and literacy, as well as on numeracy. After that, the subjects were asked to fill out a questionnaire called "Scale of Attitude towards Celebrities".
The form contained a series of questions that had to be answered "yes" or "no". For example, participants were asked if they were obsessed with the details of their idols' lives, or if they felt compelled to learn about the personal habits of their favorite stars. Also during the study, people were asked to talk about income, education and financial situation. Thus, scientists were able to get the most detailed picture.
"The results show that there is a direct relationship between celebrity worship and lower performance on cognitive tests that cannot be explained by demographic and socioeconomic factors," the authors noted.
They explained that high scores on the celebrity attitude scale correlated with lower scores on intelligence tests. At the same time, scientists could not unequivocally determine whether the enthusiasm for the life of stars is a cause or a consequence of a low development of the mind.
"Future research should seek additional evidence for our hypothesis that the cognitive effort involved in immersing yourself in the life of your favorite celebrity may interfere with tasks that require attention and other cognitive skills," they said.
It is not yet clear exactly at what point the study participants lost their mental acuity. This could have happened even before their fascination with celebrity life.
Human consciousness and brain cease to develop when a person no longer makes new discoveries for himself. Psychologist Marina Gladysheva told about this "360". As an example, she cited a school and a university where students learn something new all the time.
“We are opening the world wider and wider. When we watch stars on TV, we don't know anything. We learn new information, but this is not knowledge, but a little different. This is just some information that does not lead us anywhere, ”she explained.
In this case, the brain relaxes and stops developing. According to Gladysheva, someone else's life always seems more interesting to any person. This is especially true of the busy everyday life of popular personalities.
“Not all people can afford to live a bright life and feel life 100% every day.
I woke up in the morning - and you have a lot of events in your life, you feel that you live cool, tasty. Therefore, people begin to look at how others live. It causes some emotions in them, ”said the psychologist.
She added that some people become happy for the other person, and some people begin to feel hatred. Gladysheva pointed to such a moment as attributing oneself to someone else's life. When a blogger shares something or advertises something, he seems to give another person an opportunity to touch his life.
“People look at it and think, ‘Oh, I’m going to travel there too’ or ‘I’ll do it’. Someone looks and, on the contrary, compensates for this, saying: “Yes, all this is nonsense, they lie and deceive.” This allows a person to somehow justify his life,” she said.
In the case of celebrities, there is also the problem of complexes. Someone can look at one of the stars or bloggers and decide that nothing like this will ever work out for him. Such a person begins to devalue himself, but there are those who are trying to repeat after their idol.
