By Priya Thoren
The 2020 presidential election in November has come and gone for U.S. citizens, but not without some hurdles. Technology is the base for almost everything these days, and one of the most prominent aspects of technology in our lives today is social media. Social media and politics are as good a mix as water and oil. People from anywhere in the country can get into conflict through something as simple as a single comment under someone’s post. The U.S. is extremely diverse, with many different views and opinions, but conflicts are amplified when a celebrity takes the reins and starts steering people in the direction of his or her own personal values and agenda.
Whenever there is a presidential election, it is extremely important to vote, as it gives citizens a say in government leadership and politics. Celebrities with large social media followings should use their platforms responsibly to tell their fans to vote. Many celebrities this year have taken to doing this through Instagram and Twitter, such as Ariana Grande for President Elect Joe Biden and Lil Pump for President Trump.
There are some celebrities who blatantly voice who they are going to vote for on their platforms. This may not seem like a huge problem at first, but it can cause issues. Some of these celebrities’ followers are so blinded by the spotlight cast on these stars that they will change their opinions just to fit those of the celebrities they adore. There are people who will drop their own beliefs and pick up those that they saw on a celebrity’s recent Instagram post.
I think that being an influencer and a role model should be part of the job of being a celebrity. Celebrities’ followers can range from young children to older adults. However, this does not mean that these celebrities should be enforcing opinions and pushing their own views upon their followers, especially those who are more vulnerable, such as young children. This interaction can be paralleled to that of teachers and students. Oftentimes, teachers are discouraged by schools from speaking about their political views to their classes because children can be easily swayed and manipulated.
Celebrities should remain neutral in political discussions. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions, and having celebrities air theirs could result in people going against their values to follow those of someone they look up to. Celebrities are normal people with the obligation to follow their own values, but they ought to be more cautious of what they put online since their posts have such a large reach. Celebrities should be more cautious about displaying their political views openly on social media platforms.