With the power of social media in today’s world, it is extremely easy to spread messages. Many celebrities have a loyal audience that track their every move.This means it is vital that they watch what they post and say, as they hold a strong influence over many people, including children. However, not all influencers use their platforms for good. Celebrities spreading negative messages has become increasingly more common as it becomes easier to reach a large pool of followers. 

“Since so many people look up to celebrities due to their popularity, people are more likely to take their opinions into consideration. Celebrities using their platforms to spread hate and negative messages is so wrong because of the influence they have on their fans,” junior Cassidy Harris said.

Recently, there has been a lot of controversy involving popular hip-hop artist Ye West, a.k.a Kanye West or Kanye. Due to unpopular opinions and an unstable mental situation throughout the years, West has had a steadily declining public persona, but recent events have been more problematic for the rapper’s reputation. West has been banned from multiple social media sites after making antisemitic tweets on twitter, as well as saying many other hateful things. Being one of the most popular artists in the world, he reaches a large audience, and the things he has said have offended and negatively influenced many individuals – especially his younger fans. 

West’s actions have also had other severe consequences for him. In response to his inappropriate social media presence, many companies and people are disassociating themselves with him. West’s popular clothing line, Yeezy, has stopped being sold by many companies. Adidas, which formerly manufactured and sold the Yeezy brand, completely cut ties with West and his brand, along with other companies such as GAP, Balenciaga and many more. This has cost West millions of dollars, allegedly decreasing his net worth by about $1.5 million. In addition to this, he has lost a large amount of fans and has received a remarkable amount of backlash from the public. Many people are disgusted by the comments he made and refuse to associate themselves with him. 

“My opinion has changed about him. He was, for what I thought, a good person. Then he said something hateful. Now, all of my respect for him is gone,” sophomore Jordan Delon said.

In a world where information and opinions can be spread to millions of minds with a simple click, those who have large influences must be very conscious of what they share online. The things that are put out on the internet can leave a lasting impact on many people, more specifically the youth. Inappropriate things shared on social media can also be offensive and can lead to discourse within certain online communities. Rather than negatively influencing and impacting their followers, celebrities should work on spreading positive messages that inspire others and bring people together.