Coachella’s First World Problems

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is an annual musical festival located in Indio, California. This festival attracts some of the biggest stars to perform on the Coachella stage, as well as many celebrities and social media — who most to attend this popular event. This year’s performer lineup included: Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and J Balvin. A majority of influencers and celebrities who attended the festival — the Dolan Twins, Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Shay Mitchell — have dominated Instagram feeds with Coachella photos or have posted YouTube videos with content related to Coachella, such as Coachella prep./vlog/haul. This flood of Coachella content on social media can have a negative influence on teenagers and audiences alike, who did not go to Coachella. Being left out on such popular and exciting event can be emotionally difficult for people, especially with the constant reminders from social media that many people are participating.

With this negative influence looming over their heads, it is difficult for students, in particular, to focus on their schoolwork or studies. Despite online articles and YouTube vlogs about the dangers of attending Coachella, the negative outcomes of Coachella, “Why attending Coachella was a bad decision,” and “What Coachella is really like,” many continue to buy tickets each year to attend this musical festival. People who live miles away or in different continents, especially teenagers or young adults who don’t have enough money to fly to LA or purchase a ticket, usually dominate the population that is emotionally excluded from Coachella. Evidently, teenagers are more easily affected by the influence of social media and social media influencers. According to a survey from the Royal Society for Public Health, they asked 14-24 year olds in the UK how social media platforms affect their mental state, receiving responses that mentioned big social media platforms (Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) which all led to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, awareness of body image, and loneliness.

Thus, it is important to acknowledge the emotional stress teenagers undergo regarding popular events (that are basically captured entirely on social media) and internet trends. With the rapid growth of the internet’s abilities and outreach, its influence has the ability to boost or discourage an individual’s emotions immensely.

For more information, see MarieClaire.com, Esquire.com, Timeout.com, ChildMind.org.