One of the goals of every human being is to understand oneself, their emotions and the decisions they make. Far from being helpful, the exposure of the private lives of tabloid actors in the media distances anyone who consumes this type of information from such a vital goal. Why then do these characters arouse so much interest? Psychologists have classified this dynamic as the amaro syndrome, since this medicinal plant, although bitter, is used to heal certain wounds.
The coated paper and the collaborators of entertainment programs expose and analyze all aspects of the sentimental life of celebrities and usually affect those episodes marked by tragedy: an illness, a family conflict, a heartbreak. The socialization of the private life of a specific catalog of characters contributes, without the consumer of this news being aware, to avoid introspection and the treatment of their own feelings or, in the best of cases, to feel consolation to see that the protagonist of someone else’s story has it just as bad or worse than him.
The tabloids bring out the private sphere of its protagonists as part of their public image. The interpretation of those personal aspects that dominate the covers and headlines tends to be done in a frivolous and banal way. The superficiality of the events becomes evident when, either the character is used to profiting from his misadventures and carefully prepares the staging for the magazine on duty, or when the famous person, belonging to high economic society, is presented as vulnerable, sad or miserable.
The social chronicle encourages readers or viewers to compare their lives with those of their protagonists, although the real problems of one and the other surely have nothing to do with it.
The consumption of heart formats —until recently, leaders in distribution and audiences— usually transcends a subsequent social debate. The tabloids fulfill their mission of distracting the staff with the participants in this conversation. The danger is when mere entertainment gives way to the evasion of everyday problems or comparisons, and the more morbid or painful the situations faced by celebrities, the more satisfied you find yourself.
The interference of the lives of others in hobbies to the detriment of the cultural and leisure offer has negative consequences in the long term. That is why the influence of this type of light formats should not be downplayed with regard to the conscience, empathy or personal fulfillment of a person.
