The Power of Influence: How Stars Shape Trends and Culture
The celebrities stamp and shape our preference in music, films, fashion, or any other aspect of life in the fast world we live today. And their influence stretches beyond a red carpet or the concert stage-to the everyday rhythms of life. It affects where we buy things, how we socialize, or even how we sometimes get from point A to point B. So, just exactly how do these famous faces shape trends and culture in such profound ways?
Well, at the heart of this phenomenon is the relationship of celebrities with their followers. Such relationship is usually encouraged through social media, wherein a celebrity posts a small vignette from life - what they are wearing, what they ate. Social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter would make a celebrity's life look relatively possible and attainable. Suddenly, the public is treated to the sighting of a celebrity taking a photo in a new outfit or pitching a product. At once, that outfit is the "thing" of the season, and that product sells off the shelves.
Consider, for example the Kardashian-Jenner clan. The million followers they have and their very calculated online presence only served to turn the concept of influence into an art. Almost overnight, the prattle about Kylie Jenner's lip kit was manufactured. The goods sold out within hours, it's the magic of celebrity endorsement in the beauty industry. People weren't just buying the lip kit; they were buying into Kylie's persona and lifestyle. This joint blend of aspiration and relatability is what makes celebrity influence so powerful.
A third domain on which celebrities are in undisputed reign is fashion. But what this also means is that in the case of Y2K fashion, the hysteria has been at least partially driven lately by celebrities in the roles of Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid. Retrofashion that in its day had been constetuted via low-rise jeans, colorful crop tops, and big ugly shoes, to name a few, has been enough to reanimate dead and buried trends. When they strut down the sidewalk or are featured on the cover of a magazine, they incite citizens to consider what's "in" and what's "out." That's not just a passing phenomenon; it sometimes grows into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon as citizens start to identify with styles that once had belonged to a generation.
Influence power has nothing to do with fashion and beauty. Using the platform, celebrities can also use their stance on numerous social issues important to them to take more attention in their fans on the cause of these problems. Emma Watson is one great example. Being the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma was an advocate of gender equality and women's empowerment through her #HeForShe campaign. She, however, can connect her celebrity to cause activism, inspiring thousands and thousands to take action on matters of social issue; by those means, influence can be a good thing.
Moreover, there is a vast interconnection between the music world and cultural trends. Artists like Beyoncé and Billie Eilish create genres of music and popularize social conversations. For example, "Lemonade" by Beyoncé recently attempted to break many walls while speaking on the themes of races and feminism, and it turned out to be a cultural moment for the world. The style of Billie Eilish has also brought light to new hope for generations to converse open-heartedly about issues that were once stigmatized.
But with great power comes great responsibility. Celebrities have to walk on a fine line between influence and authenticity. If the words and actions do not tally, fans sometimes turn against them overnight. A couple of influencers were chastised for backing products which were either not sustainable or healthy, as they had once claimed. Authenticity matters because people are attracted towards those celebrities who are real and relate to a common man.
There is a two-way street: challenge and redefine the narratives celebrities create-and you may just be able to meet the expectations. How many rags-to-riches celebrities ever emerged primarily because fans began demanding authenticity and responsibility from their favorite stars? The body positivity and sustainable fashion movements, for instance, have resonated widely only because fans are demanding more authenticity and responsibility from their favorite stars.
Influence can be such an interesting dialectic between celebrities and their publics. As these icons continue to shape the culture and trend, it becomes very important that both parties have the meaningful conversations with each other about what this influence means. How do stories of fashion inspire change? How can activism? How can music contribute to changing norms for a world in better connection? Next time you get swept away in the whirlwind of the next big thing or are inspired by a message from a favorite celebrity remember that: not all is just glitz and glam; it's all about impact.
