Think of the word celebrity, then comes fame, then comes “being known” and lastly, fans. Fans are what make someone famous. Without a group of people supporting your choices, paying for your appearances and dedicating a portion of their lives reading on the latest information about celebrities, one cannot be famous.
So what is this term “Fans” and why do we really become fan our teenage years? I mean, I’m sure we all had favorite shows when we were younger, like Blue’s Clues, In the Box, Fairy Odd Parents, Rocket Power and so much more. But we were never really obsessed with those programs or characters.
Then as we become older, we begin idolizing, we “people we admire and pay to go see, or to buy albums. From Taylor Swift, to Selena Gomez to Beyoncé, Kanye, ZED and so on. We begin memorizing their lyrics and soon, that molds into who we are as people.
First, The term fan. Webster dictionary describes fan as, “: an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit.” Enthusiast! And the age where this process truly begins is when the term “teen” is added to our age. I mean I guess, pre-teen counts too!
Now why are Teens so obsessed?
Well, The first part of the brain to fully mature during the teenage years is the limbic system. The limbic system consists of mainly the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and cingulate gyrus. And most of these portions are in charge of emotion, memory, reward and endorphins from rewards. So when teens listen to music, the more emotionally connected they become, the more the song has an impact. This can apply to film and movies as well. So with this new part developing, teenagers are extra sensitive to these emotional outlets, thus they react more intensely. This isn’t that shocking
As I already mentioned, this portion of the brain is also related to the reward system. So when teenagers listen to music that they enjoy or watch an enjoyable movie, that portion of the brain releases dopamine, the happy hormone and the reward hormone. This makes one want to continue doing that action. But teens are extra sensitive since it’s a new experience, so they gain the most pleasure out of everyone else. Because of this, the music we listened to as teenagers become kind of wired into our brain. That’s why we get so excited when we listen to an “old” song.
The teenage years are also some of the most confusing years in one’s life. It is when everyone is trying to discover who they are, what they want and what they’re doing. So it is more susceptible for teenagers to look up to famous people during their search for an identity compared to someone who is older and less influenced. Therefore these celebrities become sort of mentors. Thus admiration continues and the desire for more knowledge continues.
Sometimes teenagers, especially girls can be very obsessed over a celebrity, especially the romantic aspect of their life. This is believed to be because around that age teenagers and especially teenage girls are exploring their sexuality and romance. Like when Jesse McCartney would sing “beautiful soul” you would imagine it was meant for you. Or when there are thousands of girls bombarding Justin Bieber just to meet him, because let’s face it, the chances of someone dating a celebrity is just a little slim!
Although this fan life continues, it is at its highest during the awkward years of one’s life, teenage years. Think about it, most of your favorite celebrities were probably introduced to you during your teenage years. We can new interests and our taste alters as we fit more into our own shoes, thus we become fans of the new and not the old as much. But there will always be a soft spot for our favorite celebrities from our teenage years. I am a prime example!
For example, mine is Selena Gomez…