Past GT essay - More and more media attention is being paid to famous people who are successful in sports and movies. Why do you think this is happening? Is this a good thing?

It would not be unfair to say that today's world is saturated with celebrity related news and gossip. We have access to the very latest news in the world of celebrities via various different mediums. This essay shall delve into the causes of this phenomenon. It is definitely not a good thing.

The main reason for this is that people idolize celebs and want to know about them. Celebs are role models for many. People want to be like them and that is why they want to know everything about them. The media is only responding to people’s desires. To survive in today’s world, the media, whether it is e-media or print media, has to focus on these big shots. Another reason for this is that the celebs themselves need the media coverage to survive in today’s era of cut-throat competition. That is why the extent and quality of celebrity news in the media is multiplying at a great rate.

However, too much focus on the lives of celebrities is certainly harmful for the people as well as the celebs themselves. Too much focus on celebrities is diverting people’s attention away from more important issues such as politics and the environment. For example, the public knows more about Salman Khan and his broken relationships than about many political issues. Another important point is that sometimes these celebs are negative role models for people. For instance, if a celebrity drinks or smokes then young people may copy him thinking that it is glamorous to drink and smoke.

Too much celebrity gossip can be detrimental for the celebs themselves. Everyone knows that Princess Diana died because she was being followed by the paparazzi. Celebrities’ lives do not have any privacy and they cannot enjoy the simple things of life like a common man does. This increases the stress in their lives and their career also suffers as a result.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that the media does focus too much into the lives of famous people because of several reasons. However, it should understand its responsibility and use its power for the right cause. It should know where to draw the line and should also know how much is too much.