IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA CULTURE CAUSING MORE HARM THAN GOOD FOR CELEBRITIES?

Quiz master Phanindra Ivatury of the Netherlands writes on threats faced by celebrities in the digital realm and the glaring lacunae associated with digital safety.

UTRECHT (The Netherlands), Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Popular pan-India actor Rashmika Mandanna recently took on the mantle of being national brand ambassador for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.  

It was an initiative launched by the Indian Government to tackle the lurking threats associated with cybercrimes in the country. 

Rashmika’s appointment to the above role seemed a fitting choice as not so long ago she bore the harassed victim tag in a humiliating cyber-crime when a ‘deep fake’ video of hers started circulating online causing distress to this celebrated actress who has 44+ million followers to show on Instagram. 

The incident exposed some glaring lacunae associated with digital safety.

The ‘Insta’ Mania:

For all those ‘netizens’ among us, the Facebook ‘likes’ mania towards pictures and posts has kind of evaporated somewhat over the years with a new found craze for presence on other trending platforms.  One has options ranging from an Instagram or X or Threads to choose a few from many. 

 Social networking services like Instagram provide the ultimate lure of having direct interactions with the famous where one can comment, compliment or criticize on celebrity posts. 

While such platforms serve as chasm breakers, helping celebs reach out to their fan base through an instant click, they also provide scope for some faceless and fake accounts  to constantly disseminate hate, threats or negative reactions on celebrity content.

Sizzles and Fizzles:

 In the past few years, celebrities graduated from receiving fan mail via physical letters to direct interactions with followers on social media akin to the way fan adulation at public places changed for them, escalating from signing autographs to posing for selfies. 

While instant fan feedback (received via thousands of compliments on their posts) is hugely gratifying for celebrities,  occasional reply reactions from these stars regale those lucky few in their fan base.

  I, myself have not been immune to Insta ‘highs’ resulting from direct interactions with celebrities, a few responses from whom I idolize, giving me  those euphoric thrills.  On the flip side, an odd celebrity or two from my favored list have also faced merciless trolling for some of their posts. 

  Celebrities carry an enormous social responsibility as mega humans idolized by tens of thousands of followers. 

The vulnerable side of their personalities, if any, probably needs to be camouflaged a bit on social media in order to protect the ideal side of it.  To err is human but it’s an occurrence that invites a stiff stare when it concerns a celebrity. 

Hence the caution, particularly on a visually driven interface where it only takes one post to either exalt or denigrate them.

Clues to Crooks

A few years back, celebrated American media personality and socialite Kim Kardashian supposedly fell prey to a social media post based heist. The incident happened when she showcased on Instagram, her jewelry worth millions upon a visit to Paris. 

The post not only alerted  her stupendous fan base but also some lurking thugs who could gain easy access to her location.  The event sparked a counseling drive on what precautions should celebrities exercise while posting on social media.

Idols Ignoring Insta?:

Are you a die-hard Margot Robbie fan? Do you absolutely love the bromance between George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the “Ocean’s” movie series?

Try looking for them on Instagram, you can only find their fan pages.

“Jumping off the social media for the time being” wrote Margot Robbie in her last Insta post in June 2021 without ascertaining any specific reason for stepping away. 

“I don’t think you can be a star and be that available” said George Clooney in a 2022 interview speaking about how to carry oneself in the spotlight and avoid trouble in the digital age.

  "Well, I never say never. Life’s pretty good without it. I don’t see the point” explained Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt in 2023 about his reluctance to hop on the Instagram bandwagon.

Idols Idolised on Insta:

For those of you looking for soccer idols on Instagram, two of the biggest to have ever played the sport appear on top of the platform’s ‘follower pinnacle’.   As of 2024,  while Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo has a mind numbing number of 641 million followers, Lionel Messi from Argentina sits second with 504 million to his name.

Apart from athletes from sports, pop idols, musicians, media personalities, socialites and film stars dominate the Insta follower lists with Narendra Modi, the charismatic Indian Prime Minister being the lone political figure to find a popularity spot inside the top fifty.

The Number Game:

Diagonally opposite to stars like Robbie, Clooney or Pitt are those desperate celebrities or wannabe idols who seem to be obsessed with their follower count.  There are any number of theories floating around on how to track celebrities who seem to have a fake number of ballooning homegrown followers allegedly bought in super quick time to up their popularity chart ante. It’s an approach slanted on the logic that more the number of followers, more chances created for boosting one’s credibility.

The number game mechanism also happens with lesser known mortals.  When I was new to Instagram after having created my profile as a quiz master, much to my repulsed astonishment, there were random suggestions from sources on how to increase the follower count in an instant through some mediating agencies for a sum. 

Nostalgic Story Shares:

In sync with the digital age are some yesteryear superstars who are quite active in posting on social media.  One such legendary actor from India whose aura outstrips his fan count is Amitabh Bachchan who has a huge presence on Instagram.  He often devotes personal life stories, pictures and posts to his faithful fan base through the medium. 

Zeenat Aman, a former diva who westernized the quintessential definition of a Bollywood heroine shares fascinating pictures from her filmy past on Instagram with lengthy anecdotes to go with them.  This was an unthinkable phenomenon prior to the digital emergence. 

A Mutual Balance:

Social media is that dream vehicle that brings celebrated stars from different galaxies such as entertainment, sport and politics closer to you.  While the onus on what stories to pitch online lies with the celebrity, a responsible reaction is the need of the hour for a social media follower.  Otherwise, it can become a knife that cuts both ways.

  With all the idiosyncrasies and permutations, it’s a two way lane where both parties need to acknowledge the acceptable norms of mutual presence on digital platforms.

-- BERNAMA