An Idol’s Influence

Imagine sitting in the audience at a concert of your favourite singer or getting a job at the company your favourite idol represents. These ideas can be inspired because of a celebrity that you like. With the rising popularity of K-pop in North America, the topic of an idol is often talked about. Some say joining a fandom is a waste of time and a waste of fans’ money. They distract fans from their life and cause them to spend money on useless things they promote. While I do understand other’s points of view, I have found that having an idol has more advantages than disadvantages.

Advantages of having an idol are motivation and entertainment. My idols have motivated me to become better and provided me with entertainment when I needed it. By joining the fanbase, I have made great friendships because we have the same idol. The disadvantages are that my idols distract me from heavy schoolwork, and I spend more money than I save on things that my idol promotes or sells. 

The first idols I ever had was in 2015 when I was 11-years-old. They were a band called TFBOYS. I loved the songs they released and enjoyed watching their performances. At that time, I was not a big fangirl yet. I didn’t know “how to have an idol.” They had social media accounts that I didn’t follow, and I didn’t know that they posted vlogs. All I paid attention to was their songs. As I became older and got my first phone, I started to become a hardcore fangirl.

As the years passed, this hobby of mine continued and evolved into many new hobbies. For example, I wanted to edit videos of my idols, so I learned how to use video editing software. I also started making photo cards of my favourite idols as a fun craft. Writing has always been a passion of mine so, I even started writing novels inspired by my idols. Watching them gave me new ideas to write about. Now, I’m not only listening to their songs or just watching their videos but I’m also inspired to learn new things because of them. But, how do I get the motivation to do these things? Well, my idols inspire me to become motivated as well.

My idols are a source of motivation, and they inspire me to work harder, which, hopefully, can lead me to getting closer to them one day.

For example, before getting to know my new favourite band TNT (Teens in Times), I didn’t have any career goals. But after seeing what their staff does, I became interested in that industry. The staff’s job of planning and scheduling the band’s filming schedule is something that I found very interesting and would like to consider as a future career option. To become a director of their video series would be a dream come true. Also, because of my idols, I plan to study journalism in the future. My goal is to one day work for TNT at their entertainment company. Whenever I see my idols work hard to achieve their dreams, I feel inspired to work hard as well. I feel that if I want to stand at the same level as they do, then I should work as hard as they do. So, ever since having an idol, I have been inspired and motivated to improve myself as an individual. Hopefully, one day, I can meet them and maybe work with them. 

My idols also provide me with entertainment when I need it. When I’m working, I always have a playlist to enjoy. Music always makes doing homework feel less like a chore. Whenever I am free, I usually watch videos of TNT and reality shows they’ve been on. They’re really funny and my family often gathers together to watch. As a side note, if your entire family likes the same group, it’s a really good thing because it bonds you. Whenever I need a break from work, I often watch their music videos or vlogs just as a way of escaping from all the things I have to do. It’s my way of powering down after a long week. I often look forward to Fridays because that’s when  I can watch whatever I wish. To put it simply, watching their videos is almost like watching a movie, but all the actors in it are your favourite actors; that is the feeling.

Having an idol has also helped me build friendships with other people. A common interest creates a lot of topics for fans to talk about.

So, fans can become close friends very easily. I own a fan account where I post photos of my idols. Through that account, I’ve made friends who live in England, France, and Portugal. It’s really interesting to hear them talk about how different life is where they live. This fan account has allowed me to make friends all over the world and open up my social circle.

There are times when having an idol has affected me negatively. For example, sometimes I spend too much time watching their videos when I should be studying. This causes me to get distracted and lose the motivation to study. I end up not studying as much for my tests. However, I have controlled this issue, and now I work much more efficiently. Another example is when I play their songs in the background while doing homework. The catchy music distracts me, which leads me to finishing my work much more slowly. And of course, I spend my money on their albums and photo books. This can be seen as a delightful and heartbreaking thing. I am delighted because I have their albums, but I am also heartbroken because I end up with an empty wallet! 

Despite the distractions they cause me, I think that having an idol is a good thing because they help me improve. They may cause me to study less for my test, but they also motivate me to become better and study harder for the next test. I may be distracted by them while doing work, but they also motivate me to start my work. When comparing the disadvantages and advantages of having an idol, I think the advantages are so much better, and the disadvantages can be easily avoided by self-restraining. Having an idol has influenced me a lot as a person. Although I may never know them, they are still a very important part of my life.