People are still not taking the government’s Safer at Home orders seriously. Teenagers in Miami are prioritizing their spring break over taking precautions for the virus, but of course, the virus only affects old people, and we young people are free to party without worry, right?
Well, based on John Hopkins University, over 277,000 citizens are now infected, and according to a summary report on an article from The Guardian, 20% of the people who contracted COVID-19 and had to be hospitalized were between 20 to 44 years old. That is a significant amount of young people getting the virus.
One of the contributing factors of young people being indifferent are celebrity influences. Take “High School Musical” actress, Vanessa Hudgens for example. The musical series was, and still is, popular among teenagers. It will be to no surprise that people still look up to her, considering her role as the main actress. Her acting in the series was almost as good as her portraying what nihilism is like among young people regarding the virus.
“It’s a virus, I get it, I respect it.” Hudgens said. “Even if everybody gets it, people are gonna die, which is terrible, but like, inevitable.”
Hudgens later released an apology on her Twitter account. Unfortunately for Hudgens, her Instagram livestream was recorded and will stay on the internet permanently.
The influence celebrities have on their audience is more than some of them realize, and is especially important in these times. Sending the wrong message to younger audiences can negatively affect said audience’s mindset and behavior. However, there are celebrities like Kevin Bacon, David Beckham, and Emma Watson who have been spreading the message about staying at home, and doing so themselves.
Although some people may have taken precautions to prevent being the carrier of the virus and spreading them to people who are at risk, there are still people who refuse to self-quarantine. This has come to the point where several counties had to warn and threaten their citizens with fines or jail time.
“This is not shelter in place like a school shooting, this is a Stay at Home because you’re safer at home,” Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said. “This is not a request. This is an order.”
Staying at home may be boring and it would be nice if people could enjoy spring break and just party, but spring break comes around every year and people can party after the pandemic is over. People only have one life and there are those who have underlying medical conditions to live longer. Staying in is not just for your own sake, it is for theirs as well.
Stay home, stay clean, and stay healthy.
- Over Baking? Try ‘Overcooked’ - June 3, 2020
- U building demolition approved for summer 2020 - May 21, 2020
- Reopening may not be as bad as we thought - May 20, 2020
