Being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. We envy stars their looks and their lifestyles but, really, would you want to be so famous that you couldn't even shop at your local supermarket? There's a weird psychology around the whole idea of fame. I mean, why do we look up to these people as heroes? They're just ordinary people like you and me .... well, except they're more beautiful or handsome, better at sport, or just plain richer.
Some experts believe we're all susceptible to the fame game, that it's in our DNA, we're biologically programmed to respect and follow the leader of the pack, the Alpha Male, or female. Others believe that being obsessed with the lives of famous people is rather a symptom of something within our own psychology, a sign that we're not happy with our own lives and achievements. Whatever the causes, the cult of celebrity is growing out of all proportion, aided by the rapid advances in media and technology. But what is it like to be famous? And, would you really want to live that kind of life?
Well, first of all, if you were famous, you'd have very little privacy. Your every move would be followed by gossip columnists and celebrity magazines, your every relationship break up, speeding ticket and wrong word recorded, broadcast and analyzed by the media. Not only that, but everyone in your family would be subjected to this treatment from the press. Your life wouldn't be yours anymore, it'd be public property. Specialist star hunting photographers called paparazzi would snap photos of you without asking your permission, and reporters would go through your trash to find anything they might be able to turn into a story.
So do you still wanna be a star? Not so sure? Well .... There are other problems you might face after becoming famous. First of all, achieving your dream doesn't necessarily make you happy.
You make a movie, publish your book or win the race and then .... Oh, is that it? Some stars actually feel a sense of anti climax on achieving stardom. Realizing their dream and becoming famous just wasn't as amazing as they thought it would be. Others, however, get so carried away, they begin to believe their own hype and become totally arrogant, thinking they really are super human! A third kind of psychological problem is called: imposter syndrome.
Some celebrities think they don't deserve their success, that they're an impostor - a fake. Needless to say, each of these three problems can have a negative effect on the star's psychological, emotional and physical health. These are reasons why famous people sometimes become paranoid, reclusive, insecure or depressed. In fact, statistics show that famous people are four times more likely to commit suicide than the average person. That's not to say every star's a depressed and paranoid fruitcake, but it's worth remembering that, as the saying goes, 'beauty is only skin deep', and that loving and respecting yourself and your friends is far more important in life than love for an image you see on a TV screen, no matter how perfect he or she seems.