Attention and status-seeking motivate people to endure micro-celebrity’s costs

Evidence

This brings us back to the question: if being a micro-celebrity is so draining and uncomfortable, why would anyone attempt to become one? The primary motivator for pursuing micro-celebrity seems to be attention and status. While Adam Jackson wanted to increase his access and influence within the tech scene, Julia Allison wanted to attain a more conventional type of celebrity. Whatever the social context, celebrity culture is considered high status, and so will probably always draw those interested in improving their status within their particular communities. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 409

Categorization

• CANDY: A clean, tweetable summary: the entire micro-celebrity pursuit boils down to attention and status.
• XREF: connects to: Social media’s broadcastability has transformed status into attention-seeking and visibility. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 30; Achieved status, not mere visibility, is what earns admiration online. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 256; Micro-celebrity success brings psychic damage that can outweigh its rewards — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 319 (+5 more)