As the pandemic wears on, social media is rife with criticism for rule-breaking influencers. Rita Ora has recently come under fire for paying for an illegal party; countless Twitter users have written scathing comments about celebrities in Dubai; and Dua Lipa’s hypocritical jet-setting has left many fans disappointed. However, when those in the public eye can’t post old holiday pictures without cries of “Where’s your mask?”, I can’t help but wonder if this criticism is always justified.
Don’t get me wrong: I strongly believe that celebrities who are quite obviously flouting lockdown rules deserve to be called out. With a large platform comes responsibility, and many of these public figures have young, impressionable audiences. It is neither morally right, nor safe, to encourage fans to hold mass gatherings, or travel internationally against government guidance. However, when I watched UnJaded Jade’s recent mental health catch-up on YouTube, my resounding emotion was one of sympathy.
“When we start getting our rulers out to examine a public figure’s Instagram story, we no longer allow them to be human.”
In her video, Jade spoke a lot about the role of influencers in the pandemic, and the pressure she feels to be a “good influence”. This comes after she’s been under fire for her travel decisions during the pandemic, despite her university, Minerva, refusing to make adjustments for students who cannot get to their study locations. Yet again, I do feel that some of the criticism she has received is well-founded; her road-trip to Switzerland, while legal, appears questionable in these circumstances. But I still take issue with the nature of the comment section beneath her video.
Notably, one person commented how Jade’s social media photos didn’t “seem” to show a two-metre distance between each individual. This is what I struggle to get behind. When we start getting our rulers out to examine a public figure’s Instagram story, we no longer allow them to be human. Instead, we see them as 2D images who must never put a toe out of line, because heaven forbid they waver from the perfect role models we have made them out to be. And this simply isn’t realistic.
“The problem lies with social media.”
With their brand deals and privileged lifestyle, I think it’s easy to forget that these influencers are human beings. Imperfect human beings, at that. They too are navigating a global pandemic for the first time. They too have experienced grief, loss and frustration throughout all this. And while things like Rita Ora’s birthday bash are simply inexcusable, I think we need to show a little more compassion.
The problem lies with social media. By allowing us an insight into the private lives of those we admire, it has made us entitled. We feel owed an explanation for every tiny decision, regardless of whether the celebrity has decided to share it publicly. This blurs the line between public and private, denying those with a platform the chance to escape endless scrutiny. I still firmly believe that holding blatantly irresponsible celebrities to account (looking at you again, Rita Ora) is justified. However, I don’t think celebrities should have to caveat every single post with an explanation of how they’re following government guidance.
“I can’t help but feel exhausted by this constant need for justification.”
This is not exclusive to pandemics. Just the other day, I came across a TikTok video of a dyslexic creator forced to defend herself against claims of ableism because she doesn’t caption her videos. Once again, the masses seem to forget that social media stars have a private life offline; they exist beyond the 60-second snippets they share online. Should they be forced to sacrifice their right to privacy to satisfy the curiosity of their audience?
I don’t think so. There is a fine line between calling out wilful ignorance and needlessly attacking someone for posting a Throwback Thursday without wearing a mask. I can’t help but feel exhausted by this constant need for justification. We would do well to remove influencers from the mental pedestal we’ve placed them on and remember that they too are messy humans, just like you or me.
Eva Bailey
Featured image Mateus Campos Felipe via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
Eva Bailey
Eva is a first year English and French student at the University of Oxford, with a passion for journalism. She is a proud ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust and Zero Gravity. She plays the flute and loves musical theatre, as well as diving into a good book!