The so called “press”, as it once was known as, no longer exists today in the same capacity. “The press” refers to the information gained from newspapers, for it was printed on the printing press. However, since today we gather information from so many different sources that it does not make sense to call it simply “the press” anymore. News and journalists are all a part of the collective body known as “the media”. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the media is embodied by “the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, that reach or influence people widely” and is a synonym for the press. Alain de Botton of Status Anxiety claims that Thackeray is exposing newspapers for creating status
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The only reason that celebrities have this “almighty status” though is because the media gave it to them. In our time and Thackeray’s as well, when only celebrities are written about, it becomes impossible to see them as anything else. We start comparing ourselves to them rather than actual people. The author of Status Anxiety claims that, “We envy only those whom we feel ourselves to be like” (de Botton 27), but it is really anything but that. Status anxiety is not dictated by those we are like, but those we are not like. When celebrities are put on a pedestal, they become the embodiment of what to be or what not to be. The author of "Why We Are Obsessed with Celebrities." from Psychology Today claims that “By worshipping them (to an extent), we feel as if we are participating in this hugely important cause/belief system” and “when people are amazing (or even good) in one area, this tends to transmit to perceptions in other areas (the "halo effect")” (Heflick). While this may be true to an extent, it can also …show more content…
More specifically though; social media. The “news” and social media may be categorized as just general “media”, but does that make them the same thing? Considering that 18% of people rely on Twitter or Facebook for news (King), it is safe to say that if they are not the same already, then they are slowly becoming one. Social media is a bigger source of status anxiety than traditional new sources because of the constant surrounding of it. Social media is such an integral part of our lives now, in that you communicate to your friends, boss, and even get your news from it now. Celebrities have more ground there, too, because the news now comes directly from them, rather than from a third party. It’s not only celebrities that are ruling social media, sometimes it can even be our peers. It is estimated that the average person has 7.4 social media apps on their phone and that social networking makes up 28% of the average person’s time spent online (King). Since the average person spends so much time on these services, it makes sense that people are also comparing themselves to other average people rather than celebrities, which then in turn becomes another source of status anxiety. The author of "This Could Explain Why Teens Are So Obsessed With Social Media” explains that through social media websites like Instagram or Facebook, teens find that being
The only reason that celebrities have this “almighty status” though is because the media gave it to them. In our time and Thackeray’s as well, when only celebrities are written about, it becomes impossible to see them as anything else. We start comparing ourselves to them rather than actual people. The author of Status Anxiety claims that, “We envy only those whom we feel ourselves to be like” (de Botton 27), but it is really anything but that. Status anxiety is not dictated by those we are like, but those we are not like. When celebrities are put on a pedestal, they become the embodiment of what to be or what not to be. The author of "Why We Are Obsessed with Celebrities." from Psychology Today claims that “By worshipping them (to an extent), we feel as if we are participating in this hugely important cause/belief system” and “when people are amazing (or even good) in one area, this tends to transmit to perceptions in other areas (the "halo effect")” (Heflick). While this may be true to an extent, it can also …show more content…
More specifically though; social media. The “news” and social media may be categorized as just general “media”, but does that make them the same thing? Considering that 18% of people rely on Twitter or Facebook for news (King), it is safe to say that if they are not the same already, then they are slowly becoming one. Social media is a bigger source of status anxiety than traditional new sources because of the constant surrounding of it. Social media is such an integral part of our lives now, in that you communicate to your friends, boss, and even get your news from it now. Celebrities have more ground there, too, because the news now comes directly from them, rather than from a third party. It’s not only celebrities that are ruling social media, sometimes it can even be our peers. It is estimated that the average person has 7.4 social media apps on their phone and that social networking makes up 28% of the average person’s time spent online (King). Since the average person spends so much time on these services, it makes sense that people are also comparing themselves to other average people rather than celebrities, which then in turn becomes another source of status anxiety. The author of "This Could Explain Why Teens Are So Obsessed With Social Media” explains that through social media websites like Instagram or Facebook, teens find that being