Why Caring About Celebrities Can Be Good for You

2It can encourage you to help others.

When people feel a strong affinity with celebrities, they can be inspired by what those celebrities stand for. A study I did found that a public service announcement starring Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl was more effective than the same ad starring an unknown actor. The closer viewers felt to Crawford, the more they wanted to donate their jeans to homeless teens, as the ad urged. Celebrities can also be role models. When Angelina Jolie publicized her decision to have a preventive mastectomy after test results showed she carried a breast cancer gene, some of her fans became interested in getting tested. Not all celebrities are such positive role models, though, so choose the object of your fascination wisely.

Riva Tukachinsky, PHD, is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California.