Interpolating results from the last few years state that 80% individuals in the public eye experience burnout, 4 out of 5 agreeing that it pointedly affects their mental health. These downsides, namely social isolation and harsh public scrutiny have deflected close to half their population to rely on alternative harmful streams to alleviate stress and anxiety (Carufel & Carufel, 2022). The glamour and far-reaching acceptance granted through fame underlies what most of us strive for. It is often ambitioned for with innate human desire to be recognized within, belong to and obtain approval from a social group. But is this an ideal replacement? A 2006 article by Benedict Carey in the New York Times has called fame the perfect consolation for social exclusion.

Fame is an attestation of worth, and it provides the assurance that one’s abilities, status or worth are recognized and admired (Halberstam,1984). Studies have shown that an individual's primitive desire to belong and feel socially included is motivated by fame as a promise of lifelong social inclusion and belonging at a grander scale, increasing their social value (Greenwood et al., 2023). However, this compels individuals to create separate identities for public consumption and their private life.

Irrespective of where we come from and who we are, most of us have heightened needs of belonging and validation. As a society, we are predisposed to the chase of extrinsic goals and the value that fame as an extrinsic goal brings. Particularly, rooted in a longing for social acceptance. But what may seem as an innocent way of fulfilling one’s internal desire to receive validation can possibly affect our levels of emotional functioning, decision-making and self-esteem (Wilding, 2023).

Social Media as a carrier of expectation

Being in the public eye underlies the implication of expectation. Celebrity's commitment to meeting these expectations becomes a crucial factor to acquire more fame and thereby validation. This has been fast tracked by the sudden rise of social media which has created opportunities for direct and immediate interaction of celebrities with audiences, making them feel a more intimate and authentic connection to them (Gronholm & Thornicroft, 2022). While this has fostered loyalty and accessibility, it also has its challenges in constant scrutiny and trolling. Expectations to present a flawless online persona has de-humanized them to the extent of obscuring their true selves and having their behavior dictated, praised or taken offense to by a larger audience. This creates an avenue for the pursuit of validation through likes and comments which can exacerbate self-esteem, or when received poorly can lead to harsh criticism, making them vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression (Gronholm & Thornicroft, 2022). Individuals are provided fame via the public’s agreement of a desirable social identity (Recovery, 2021), making its upkeep a responsibility they are burdened with even at the cost of their career when not lived up to at all times.

Celebrities are molded as “living Rorschach tests” (Recovery, 2021), suggesting that the audience projects their own experiences and biases onto celebrities, revealing more about their inner psychological states. The TIARA Research Report released in 2020, assigned scores to Indian celebrities that met the criteria of most trusted, identified, attractive, respected and appealing, prominently. These rankings, a result of public perception, would lead to anxiety and self-doubt, with celebrities interpreting these scores as a public measure of their self-worth. Viewing them as symbols diminish their individuality, and amplify fan expectations which forces them to censor themselves causing ‘role strain’ (Roberts, 2023), a dissonance between their public persona and private self.

Validation Addiction

Public interest is notoriously fickle and the media is quick to elevate and replace individuals with newer more desirable faces. Those who were once used to moving around with an entourage and being surrounded by fans and media are now bereft of attention and public validation. This has severe psychological and withdrawal-like challenges, and ultimately, it is because of validation addiction (Branford, 2023). However, it is not a given that all individuals will experience mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression. In 2023, Branford stated that validation addiction develops as any addiction does, providing relief initially but leading to negative consequences that the individual is unable to give up, causing a cycle of suffering. Building on self determination theory, Freund, 2017, found that focus on outcome-oriented satisfaction, where they are motivated by external rewards and recognition; can undermine the fulfillment of basic psychological needs of personal autonomy, competence and relatedness.

Two surveys have shown that nearly two-thirds (64%) of young adults between ages 18-25, and even younger, have prioritized wealth and fame as primary life goals. This suggests a generational shift towards valuing extrinsic rewards. Individuals looking to pursue this already have certain predisposed needs of approval and acceptance, suggesting a past insecurity (Roberts, 2023). Also hinting at the absence of an empathetic witness during their childhood to help them develop a healthy self-esteem and rationality that they are ‘enough’, so they don’t turn to external accolades to ‘qualify’ as worthy of acceptance (Branford, 2023). These thought patterns can disturb them for a long time till help is consulted, and may cost the industry  great performers.

Stigma

Celebrities are expected to maintain a flawless, invulnerable image that becomes tainted if they admit to facing mental health struggles and seeking professional help. They are further motivated by PR teams, social media and industry people to not speak openly about their personal struggles in order to keep fans and career opportunities. Since our image relies heavily on the perception of others, there is a difference between what we show the world and how we truly feel. However, the facade of “stay strong” is bound to burn out at some point. If celebrities are perpetually perfect, they lose their humanness and authenticity, impacting fan’s devotion and alienating the masses (Gronholm & Thornicroft, 2022). Moreover, as public figures they are especially expected to advocate for the right causes and could be heavily scrutinized for spreading the wrong message, contrary to their identity.

It is important to realise that fame is a double-edged sword. It is fleeting for recipients. It has the capability to uplift you and suppress you in equal measure (Giles & Rockwell, 2009). Yes, it is an enticing goal and the rewards are plenty. But is our reason to pursue it purely to publicise and gain acclaim for our work? Or do we secretly seek validation to feel ‘enough’ at a larger scale? The society that we live in has preached to us time and again that acceptance and respect is to be earned, and there is always scope for ‘more’ and pushing boundaries. Contentment just means giving up and admitting vulnerability makes one susceptible to judgement and pity. This is correlated to individuals over the country feeling burnt out and dissatisfied with their respective outputs. For celebrities, this may produce feelings of isolation, ironically, making them feel most alone despite being lauded with love, emulation and support (Gronholm & Thornicroft, 2022). As consumers, we must humanize celebrities instead of worshipping them by holding space for them to share their struggles and seek help, enabling them to be better at their craft and a veritable reflection of our society (Gronholm & Thornicroft, 2022). Despite the orthodoxy in thought that goes around regarding mental health and who should and should not seek help, it is very important to remember that everyone deserves compassion, even the most successful people.

References:

• Branford, O. A. (2023, November 20). Addiction to external validation. Medium. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://medium.com/%40OllyAlexander/addiction-to-external-validation-7ef7c8f5d36d
• Carey, B. (2006, August 22). The Fame Motive. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/health/psychology/22fame.html
• Carufel, R., & Carufel, R. (2022b, October 13). Influencer inhibitors: 4 out of 5 of content creators are burnt out, struggle with mental health - Agility PR Solutions. Agility PR Solutions - Media Relations. . . Streamlined. https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/influencer-inhibitors-4-out-of-5-of-content-creators-are-burnt-out-struggle-with-mental-health/#:~:text=Top%20reasons%20for%20creator%20burnout%20include%3A&text=64%20percent%20said%20it%20was,making%20money%20on%20the%20platforms.
• Freund, A. M. (2017b). The Ill-Fated quest for fame in psychological research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 1141–1144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617723148
• Giles, D., & Rockwell, D. (2009). Being a Celebrity: a phenomenology of fame. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 40(2), 178–210. https://doi.org/10.1163/004726609x12482630041889
• Goyal, S., Indian Institute of Human Brands, Dr. Sandeep Goyal, D. Nandkishore, Prof. ML Singla, B. Narayanaswamy, & Prof. Siddhartha Singh. (2020). TIARA Research Insight based research across celebrities. https://www.mxmindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/TIARA-Research-Final-Online.pdf
• Greenwood, D., Long, C. R., & Cin, S. D. (2013). Fame and the social self: The need to belong, narcissism, and relatedness predict the appeal of fame. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(5), 490–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.04.020
• Gronholm, P. C., & Thornicroft, G. (2022). Impact of celebrity disclosure on mental health-related stigma. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 31. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2045796022000488
• Halberstam, J. (1984). Fame. American Philosophical Quarterly, 21(1), 93–99. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20014032
• Recovery, P. (2021, December 31). Should Fame Come with a Health Warning? - Paracelsus Recovery - Medium. Medium. https://paracelsusrehab.medium.com/should-fame-come-with-a-health-warning-c755bf65776e.
• Roberts, D. L., PhD. (2023, July 14). The Psychology of Fame: Unraveling the mental impact of stardom. Medium. https://medium.com/psych-pstuff/the-psychology-of-fame-unraveling-the-mental-impact-of-stardom-9a95a2e647b1
• Wilding, M. (2023, December 8). Overcoming your need for constant validation at work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/12/overcoming-your-need-for-constant-validation-at-work. 

Authors: Prof. Moitrayee Das, Faculty of Psychology, FLAME University, & Maanya Gupta, Undergraduate Student, FLAME University.