The desire for fame across generations: The effects of self-esteem, social media usage, consumption of reality television, peer comparison and family support

• Main Author: Gomez, Arvin Carlo M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Fame; Desire; Generations; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/45; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_psych/article/1044/viewcontent/2023_Gomez_The_Desire_for_Fame_Across_Generations_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Desire for Fame - meaning the desire to be well-known and leave a mark on people and society as a whole - has existed for centuries now. Studying it and the factors that lead up to it is more important than ever due to the recent advent of things such as Reality Television and Social Media, which allows people to gain a wide audience easier than before, and studied which indicated that a desire for fame may be unhealthy fir the people who seek it. This study explored the desire for fame phenomenon through quantitative and qualitative means and data across three generations - Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z - was gathered using Convergent Parallel mixed-methods design via both surveys (quantitative) and interviews (qualitative) conducted at the same time period. Quantitative analysis from the research indicated that Self-Esteem, Peer Comparison, and Family Support had no significant effect on one’s Desire for Fame. However, Social Media Usage and Reality TV Consumption did have a significant effect. Generations were also found to have no moderating effects on all the independent variables. The qualitative study indicated eleven themes present - Fame Consequences, Privacy Concerns, Finance/Stability, Social Media Attention, Family Support, Stage Fright, Celebrity Attraction, Positive Acknowledgement, Recognition, Meaningful Fame, Fame as a Last Resort - for what people considered important in their possible Desire for Fame, though the most commonly occurring one present across all generations was the theme of Finance/Stability wherein people either desired fame if it meant gaining financial stability or didn’t desire it because they considered it a poor alternative to a stable education or career.