There is one huge problem with modern fame – and it can’t be reversed

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Justin Bieber stopped saying yes to selfies with fans for his mental health The additional challenges of navigating celebrity in the digital age are also more apparent than ever: “fans” increasingly feeling like they have ownership over the object of their obsession; the mental health implications of overnight or overwhelming fame; the scrutiny and subsequent cancel culture inherent in reaching never-before-possible numbers of people via social media. So even ‘social media natives’ can struggle with the increasing demands – you get used to a particular rhythm of communication and then it all changes, and you’re getting different types of communication and you have to have a plan to deal with it.” Online abuse, he theorises, is often “opportunistic”, because “people still can’t quite believe they’ve got this level of access to celebrities.” Think about it: in the past, a famous actor was distant, unattainable. “Elvis could be smuggled out of the venue by his minders and safely deposited in a hotel, but today he would still be sharing his online space with his fans and whoever wants to insult him.” Unlike in the past, when a celebrity would know when they were “on” and when they were “off” duty, modern life open image in gallery Dua Lipa has faced criticism for turning down fan pictures And separation is tricky when you’re just out and about, living your life, yet get accosted at every turn – and roundly criticised if you don’t feel like taking a picture with a stranger that day, as Dua Lipa found when she was on holiday with her family. “I think most people are able to deal with at least the moderate levels of fame that are more common … Perhaps the best answer is that fame is good until you get too much of a good thing.” open image in gallery Liam Payne described celebrity as ‘a little bit toxic’ It’s this precise level of celebrity that can be tricky to navigate – not everyone is going to be Taylor Swift, sure, but fame is a fickle beast, something that may at first be courted but then cannot necessarily be controlled.