Collin Palmer's A Healthy Obsession

In “A Healthy Obsession,” Collin Palmer, a high school sophomore, concludes that obsession over celebrities are beneficial to everyday people . He argues that the obsession creates no harm, bond friendship, and form a more confident self. Palmer also attempts to convince the reader that being obsessed with celebrities is a “healthy escape from our boring lives.” Although Collin Palmer is valid in several points, he fails to realize the true danger in being obsessed with celebrities. Based on research and my own personal experience, I found that his conclusion, when looked at logically, is invalid. One of Collin Palmer’s strongest claim is of the innocuous of the obsession over celebrity. In his quote, “We teenagers are passionate - maybe …show more content…
In his quote, “I also get a better idea of where fashion trends are going so that I can feel more confident about what I am wearing” he tries to persuade the reader that celebrity can serve as a way to feel more confident about one self. However, the fact, proven with research and study, remains that celebrities can actually make people less confident and dissatisfied with their image. Based on the National Institute on Media and the Family, more and more young adults are feeling less confident, more angry, and more dissatisfied with their looks. This study proves the invalidity of Collin Palmer’s claim. In support, another study further add on how people are unhappy and less confidence due to celebrity influences. The Body Image and Gender Identity discovered that, due to celebrities, 40% of nine and ten year-olds had tried losing weight and at age thirteen and 53% of girls were unhappy with their image. This study confirms that about half of children are not confident about their physical images because of celebrities. With these reasons, Palmer’s argument saying that celebrities obsession can boost confidence is truly