Celebrities have a tremendous influence on society. From the shoes they wear to who they should vote for, celebrities have the ability to sway large groups of people’s decisions and actions. However, when it comes to politics, celebrities need to be more careful when sharing their opinions.
An increasingly large segment of society uses social media as their source of news, only making celebrities’ current statements more harmful. According to Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 57% of Gen Z is more likely to use social media and messaging apps as sources of news information than news sites.
Celebrities are not specialists on world events and are certainly not experts on the nuances and complexities of political issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Without the proper knowledge, their statements often have extensive amounts of misinformation. Despite this, there is an aura surrounding celebrities and a blind trust in their statements and actions.
The combination of celebrities’ misinformed statements and viewers’ not utilizing proper news sites is leading to a vast spread of false information.
And misinformation is not the only issue. Hate speech has also been prevalent in statements made by celebrities since Oct. 7.
Just this weekend, the model Gigi Hadid, who has 79.1 million followers, posted a video on Instagram accusing Israel of harvesting the cells of dead Palestinians, according to Newsweek. This allegation is extremely antisemitic and is very similar to blood libels that Jewish people were accused of during the Middle Ages.
Hadid is among many celebrities who have made problematic statements about the Israel-Hamas war on social media. Responses to these statements have ranged from utmost support to extreme backlash.
To some degree, these issues are a result of celebrities being rushed to speak out, and a carelessness in how they do so. Many celebrities have made mistakes in posts about the Israel-Hamas war such as mixing up photos of Gaza and Israel and misspelling Hamas as Hummus. Their statements prioritize checking off a box rather than making thoughtful, knowledgeable comments on the situation.
For example, Justin Bieber posted on Instagram “Praying for Israel,” with a photo of a destroyed city in the Gaza Strip, according to Newsweek. When made aware of his mistake, Bieber only deleted the post rather than apologizing for his carelessness.
Celebrities must realize the impact of their words and think more carefully about their statements. This is not about promoting a pair of shoes. This is about greater issues in the world. Celebrities should consult with knowledgeable people, educate themselves on politics and current events and be more thoughtful before making comments.
