Celebrity Worship, Social Media Use, and Mental Health

Abstract

Over the past two decades, social media use has become increasingly popular including its use by celebrities. Related to this, research has indicated that a minority of individuals may develop a psychological dependence on celebrities that can lead to obsessions and diminished functioning. Although research has also shown that worshipping celebrities can have positive consequences, research has also shown that there is an association between the pathological aspects of celebrity worship and poor mental health such as high anxiety, increased depression, high stress levels and poor body image. Moreover, there appears to be evidence that pathological celebrity worship has increased over the past two decades and one of the primary reasons for this may be increased social media use by both celebrities and their fans.