IELTS essay sample | Media is paying too much attention to famous people

Essay topic

Nowadays media is paying a lot of attention to life stories of famous people in fields such as cinema, sports and modeling. What are the reasons for this? Do you think it is a positive or negative trend?

Essay sample

Media has always had some interest in the lives of celebrities. However, now this interest has spiraled out of control. Everything that famous people do or say makes headlines these days. In my opinion, this obsession with celebrities does not help the society in any way.

We are living in the age of information explosion. There are 24 hour news and entertainment channels. And then there is the internet where news breaks every second. The media needs news. Television channels need to fill their timeslots. Journalists have to fill reams of newsprint. That is why the media focuses on the private lives of famous people. Actors, models and sports personalities are all famous for their larger than life personas. People are curious about their private lives. They want to know what celebrities eat, drink and wear. Media satisfies that need.

Generally speaking, there is a symbiotic association between media and celebrities. Media keeps them in the news and celebrities make great fodder for news and gossip. Sometimes, however, media exploits famous people for increasing their circulation and viewership. Paparazzi follow celebrities often with the objective of catching in embarrassing situations. Constant media scrutiny has even spoiled the careers of several promising young men and women.

There is yet another downside to this obsession. When media highlights the lives of the rich and the famous, they are sending out wrong messages to the public, especially teens. Life isn’t all about red carpets, shopping or partying. There is more to it. Celebrity-obsessed fans often forget this.

To conclude, if media pays too much attention to the lives of actors and models, it is because of the public interest in them. Generally speaking, this benefits all the parties involved in it. The media increases its reach; celebrities get the attention they need and the public gets their dose of gossip. However, this interest does not serve the society in any way. It merely creates star-struck teens who can’t understand the real meaning of life.