Abstract
Research participants were recruited for a cross-sectional survey and asked to complete a questionnaire on new media literacy, social media, celebrity worship, and self-esteem. The results indicated that as celebrity worship increases self-esteem decreases. The research also found that as the components for celebrity worship increase self-esteem decreases. Results indicated that as celebrity worship, intense personal celebrity worship, and borderline pathological celebrity worship increase there is a decrease in the critical consumption component of new media literacy. The results reported that as celebrity worship increases, the critical prosumption component of new media literacy increases. Also as entertainment social and borderline pathological celebrity worship increased, the critical prosumption component of new media literacy increased. Results indicated that those who did not follow their favorite celebrity on Instagram had higher new media literacy skill scores than those who did follow their favorite celebrities on Instagram. This result is consistent through the uses and gratifications theory. Results are discussed in the context of implications and future studies.