Celebrities and influencers like Lizzo, Camila Cabello, and Remi Bader are showing fans that they struggle too.
Thanks to Instagram’s ubiquity, it can often seem like those around us are living a perfect life, resulting in severe mental health issues in young people due to a combination of FOMO, body image issues, and constant comparison. Celebrities like Lizzo and Camila Cabello and TikTok star Remi Bader are dispelling this myth by showing fans that they struggle too. They’re bringing transparency to their followers, telling them it’s okay to have a bad day – it makes you human. Their openness has garnered praise and is reducing the stigma surrounding mental health struggles while encouraging teens and young adults to become more open.
Research shows that children and adolescents, the primary followers of celebrities, are most susceptible to celebrity influence. With social media at the forefront of their lives, more and more celebrities and influencers feel obligated to use their platforms to share the reality of their lives and not just airbrushed, filtered pictures.
Since the launch of her career, singer-songwriter Lizzo has shared her battle with depression and been open with her fans on social media, “I learned in the last 24hrs that being emotionally honest can save your life. I used to think of sadness as a constant with fleeting moments of joy in between…But it’s a wave, joy, sadness, joy, sadness, and my sadness can be as temporary as my joy.”
Camila Cabello was candid about her struggles with body image and acceptance. She took to Instagram to bring awareness to how the unrealistic body standard can be detrimental to one’s mental health and to promote women’s bodies in their natural form, without a restrictive diet or the perfect angle.
Similarly, TikTok star Remi Bader, known for her “realistic clothing hauls,” spoke about her binge eating disorder and struggle with self-image acceptance. In a video, Remi explained that she’s seeking help and entering a six-week outpatient program. Her followers were responsive to her raw and honest statement, offering their support and love.
Myriad studies have proven that celebrities and influencers play a significant role in the lives of adolescents, serving as role models and trendsetters. In sharing their struggles, stars are making the younger generation feel more comfortable discussing their mental health difficulties, a particularly important feat since the pandemic increased stress, anxiety, and depression rates among Gen Zs. Celebrities sharing their most challenging days on social media show people that riches and fame don’t always equate to constant happiness and remind us that nobody’s life is as it seems.
With time, hopefully, increased openness will begin to dispel the narrative of social media perfection and encourage young people to be more authentic with their followers and themselves.
Photo courtesy of Andy Moran via Creative Commons
