Fame, Facebook, and Twitter: How Attitudes About Fame Predict Frequency and Nature of Social Media Use

Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) offers the opportunity to both enact and respond to public performances of self, as well as to follow and interact with actual public figures. However, to date, we know little about how users' attitudes about fame intersect with their social media behaviors. The present survey study (Mturk; n = 371) investigated links between fame appeal and participants' Facebook and Twitter use. Fame attitudes were measured via a scale tapping the appeal of Visibility (e.g., being on the cover of a magazine), Status (e.g., traveling first class), and Prosocial (e.g., being able to financially support friends and family) aspects of fame, as well as time spent fantasizing about fame and the perceived realism of becoming famous one day. Visibility was the most robustly and consistently predictive of active and celebrity-oriented social media behaviors (posting and responding vs. reading; increased number of media figures followed, more frequent responses to media figure posts). Fame Fantasy and Fame Realism showed similar, although less robust, patterns. Individuals with active Facebook and Twitter accounts showed increased fame affinity relative to those with only one or none. Findings showcase the fame-relevant function of social media and the common motivational threads that may tie fame interest to social media use.