Teen Idolization

[Æstrid]

How do you think teens pick someone to be their idol ? (Not just kpop)

 

What are the side effects of obsessive idolization ?

 

Are there any other ways to prevent teens from being to obsess other than their parents sit with them and be their friends

[Nowhere Boy]

I'm 16 and I picked my idols because they inspire me. None of them are people I know personally. I'd say almost all of them are musicians. Another reason is because my idols all make me happy.

 

The side effects of having an idol can be good or bad. I want to be like my idols in some ways and I don't in others. For example, I consider my biggest idols John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I consider them the two greatest musicians of all time. However, Lennon and McCartney did terrible things. They cheated on their girlfriends/wives, did hardcore drugs, etc. Cheating on the woman I "love" and doing hardcore drugs are not things I want to do. However, I do want to be a musician and they have inspired me more than anyone.

 

Some side effects of having an idol can be good or bad. Say someone wants to be like their idol, they could go out and do something wrong because of this. Or, they could do something really good. 

 

I've never considered myself "obsessed" over any of my idols, but they are all very important to me.

[Sooyoung's Wife]

As a person who went thru some serious idol obsession as a young teen (nothing crazy tho) I think it stemmed from being really sad, bullied, anti-social, feeling like I had no one to talk to. I started relying on certain idols for my happiness because I hated everything else in my life and they were my only release. I think a lot of the times when people get super obsessed with idols it's because they make them feel good when they hate their lives. I didn't start getting my shit together and obsess less over these idols until half way through being 16. Maybe I grew up or learned how to deal with my shit better or stopped relying on idols so much for my happiness. I think one day when these obsessed teens grow up their obsession will fade and they'll grow up. I say just let them fawn over their idols while they're young. At least they're not super crazy over their idols at 30. Just my 2 cents.

[Ghostly]

i don't choose idols to idolize,i choose them for my own entertainment.

 

people get obsessed because they're being too carried away by all these,which something they'll always realize later on,it's a cycle for me.

 

If they're harming themselves or other people just give them a slap in the face to fasten the process.

[Franklin]

...peer pressure is a part of it...some excuse to procrastinate...physical attraction..."this is the best" mentality (relative)

...buys a lot of unnecessary stuff...more procrastination...an unclear view of reality...more procrastination...buys more stuff

...bring the kids to slum area, don't provide them anything, let them work for their food...to really feel what "the struggle is real" means in the REAL WORLD.  

[ElleMae]

Teenagers are in that in-between stage where they feel somewhat like adults and start to have adult interests, but do not have all the responsibilities of adults. So they have a lot of free time. When I was in high school, I obsessed over kpop. I watched all the weekly music programs. I watched every variety my bias was on. I don't have time for all that now. So, part of it is a matter of having the free time to divulge into their obsession.

 

Most teenagers are also undergoing somewhat of an identity crisis and having a favorite celebrity they feel they can relate to alleviates that. I think the big difference in western celebrity culture and kpop idol culture is that in the west, people like to feel like their celebrities represent them - whether they're gay, sarcastic, fashionanle, geeky, athletic, etc. Whereas idols have to be "perfect" role models who never speak out of turn or challenge anything.