Research Summary

The article, “Exploring the influence of celebrities in politics: A focus group study of

young voters,” analyzes empirical research to understand the influence that celebrities

have on the younger generations. The authors conduct focus groups and use them to

measure the credibility of celebrities, as well as the social and political influence they have

on younger generations.

Historically, celebrities have been known to use their platform to advocate for policy

changes and political candidates. Their way of motivating the younger generation-

commonly labeled as the least politically active generation- primarily focuses on

encouraging new voters to exercise their rights. Though some believe that celebrities who

attempt to discuss political issues may be perceived as “unconventional or even silly”

(Nisbett, DeWalt), they do have a way of drawing massive attention to particular issues or

movements they are passionate about.

The author’s study contains eight focus groups conducted with 30 people in each

group. The participants, 73% of which were female, were drawn from a southwestern

university. The purpose of these groups were to create a place where participants could

discuss how they perceive celebrities in political environments. The participants were

asked a variety of questions, including; “warm-up questions, primary questions, and

concluding questions, as suggested by previous focus group research.” (Nisbett, DeWalt)

During the course of the study, the participants put great emphasis on the

correlation between celebrity credibility and their capacity to influence young crowds of

voters. Celebrities were broken into categories based on their credibility in a political
context. The discussion shifted as these famous figures were analyzed, and the participants

began to question the authenticity of their intentions when considering political

involvement. The celebrities were further categorized in the determination of whether

their desires appeared egotistical or generous. As dialogue flowed, specific names were

brought up and the focus group found that being able to identify with a particular celebrity

was of more importance than that celebrity’s perceived credibility.

At the beginning of the discussion, participants unanimously agreed that celebrities

had little to no influence on their opinions and voting patterns. However, as dialogue

progressed, they became more open minded to the different forms and degrees of influence

that celebrities possess. Furthermore, they discovered that a famous figure’s influential

peak will inherently be when a young adult feels they can best identify with that person.

Additionally, most participants agreed that it is younger people, those just below the legal

voting age in specific, who are most heavily influenced by celebrities.

Connecting to the younger generation has become increasingly easier since the

presence of social media. Young people and famous figures are commonly found on a

variety of social media platforms. Participants commented on how social media was the

perfect medium for celebrities who want to quickly interact with mass audiences.

Additionally, they noticed that celebrities are faster to react on social media in regards to

pressing issues than political figures are.

In conclusion, the research findings show that a celebrity’s ability to influence a

young adult is dependent on that adult’s self esteem. Furthermore, their degree of influence

comes down to whether the adult views this celebrity as someone who reflects the
aspirations and desires the adult has set for themself. The participants who took part in

this study were all motivated by their peers, family and culture more so than a famous

figure. The focus group found that if a celebrity has decent credibility, capacity to identify

with others, and could advocate for an issue, they can serve as a driving force in motivating

younger generations to, at minimum, research a social or political problem. In closing, the

focus group research findings suggest that if the younger generation is met through their

most prominent medium, social media, they are more likely to become socially and

politically aware and involved.

 Works Cited

Nisbett, Gwendelyn S., and Christina Childs DeWalt. “Exploring the Influence of Celebrities

in Politics: A Focus Group Study of Young Voters.” ATLANTIC JOURNAL OF

COMMUNICATION, vol. 24, no. 3, 1 June 2016, pp. 144–156. Communication & Mass

Media Complete.