The Importance of Celebrities

By Anna Odell A&E Editor

Everyone knows about celebrities, and many of us either look up to one or enjoy the content that they produce. What many people don’t realize, however, is the importance of these celebrities and the positive impact they have on our lives.

Many celebrities send out important messages. For example, Lizzo’s message of body positivity and self-love or Harry Styles’ message to treat people with kindness. Their messages help their followers’ self-esteem while motivating others to be kind to those around them and even themselves. After hearing the positivity that some famous people broadcast, we may be able to work on our self-esteem and improve our attitude toward the world.

In addition, many celebrities are more open about their struggles which can help their supporters feel less alone. Celebrities can also “help to reduce stigma and raise awareness,” stated Newport Academy.

Demi Lovato is a great example of this. She has been very open about her struggle with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, and eating disorders. Being transparent about these sorts of issues can help followers and supporters understand that even the people we idolize aren’t perfect and go through difficulties as well. Her discuss their psychological problems. They show that they’re real people, making them likable,” said Brillianto.

Celebrities can also inspire us to work towards our goals. Many people idolize celebrities who have worked hard to be where they are which can motivate them to work hard as well. This influence is important because we all deserve some kind of motivational force in our lives. For example, after Harry Styles left the famous One Direction band, he worked incredibly hard to become a huge pop star. Although he already had fame, starting a solo career is incredibly difficult. Many of his fans look up to this. Because of him, they are motivated to follow their dreams.

His story is inspiring to many who want to be port as well. They can represent groups that are underrepresented and can serve as role models for people that are a part of a minority. For example, Elliot Page. His journey in discovering his gender identity and sexuality as well as his success is one that many people may look up to. Because he already had a big platform, coming out as transgender was stressful for him, yet he was met with a lot of positive reinforcement from his fans, and his success only grew. This is incredibly important in helping people feel less alone and can help them feel as though they can go anywhere in life if they try hard enough. His story can help those who feel lost regarding their sexuality or gender realize that other people are going through similar things. things do get better, and if we all push through tough times, we can achieve greatness. For example, Harry Styles has had a big influence on my life. When life seemed to be getting hard, I would think of how his life before fame wasn’t easy either, and this motivates me to get through whatever life throws at me.

Many celebrities bring awareness to or support certain political topics that are important in our society. By watching what they say or post on social media, we can even educate ourselves on the topics that they are familiar with and can come up with our own opinions on the subject. Taylor Swift, for example, spoke out about the Black Lives Matter movement when the protests were at their peak in 2020. Because of this, her fans may have been more inclined to learn about the situation.

Overall, celebrities serve many purposes beyond just being famous. Celebrities help motivate us, boost our self-esteem, represent our struggles, and allow us to realize that no one is perfect. It’s important to look up to celebrities or even simply recognize them so that we, as a society, have something in our lives that represents us and encourages us for the better.

aodell@arcadiaquill. com

By ANNIE JIANG

Each year offers a fresh new start. Other than the celebration of the new year, January is also National Poverty in America Awareness Month.

Poverty is defined as financial difficulties in meeting basic needs such as food, clothing, or housing. Its status is established by comparing annual income to a series of incomes that vary by family size, the number of children, and the age of the householder. As an example for 2023 coverage, the federal poverty line is $13,590 for an individual and $27,750 for a household of four. In the nation, there are approximately 140 million poor and low-income people in the U.S. according to the Poor People’s Campaign. We can easily infer that millions of Americans are only one job loss, missed payment, or unexpected medical expense away from going hungry, showing that the problem of poverty is nearly impossible to be eradicated.

Staff Writer

Taking a look at the city of Arcadia, it is often hard to realize the poverty that exists inside this community of affluence. There are unhoused people and people experiencing food insecurity and there are residents who struggle to pay for the high standard of living. When we look at the statistics from the United States Cen sus Bureau, Arcadia residents living in poverty in recent years approximated 8.9%.

Life in poverty, however, implies more serious repercussions than just not having enough money to afford a reasonable standard of living. Lack of decent, reasonably priced housing may cause social problems like homelessness, low educational achievement, and mental and physical illness. When families are unable to afford medical services or when parents are unable to take their kids to school, it will negatively affect the whole community as well as individual well beings. And in terms of health situations, the limitations poverty puts on people’s ability to afford food will eventually lead to the result of food insecurity.

The goal of National Poverty in America Awareness Month is to raise awareness of the harsh living conditions