What do you do when you spend your childhood in the spotlight of the entire world before you even know your identity? In the case of Noah Schnapp, the solution is obvious: all child actors are supposed to get access to therapy on a compulsory basis. With the abnormal pressures of Hollywood, the “Stranger Things” star has endured since he was 11 and he is speaking out regarding the pressure it has. Schnapp says “It’s hard to grow up in the public eye”. You do not know yourself, “You don’t know yourself, you haven’t figured anything out, and now you’re expected to know everything and have all the answers”.
The start of Schnapp was quite a long way away in the world of social media. At the time Season 1 of the series “Stranger Things” was released in 2016, he was attending sleepaway camp, having no access to the outside world other than limited phone calls to his family. But fame was not long elusive, his mother emailed that he had a fan page and 10,000 followers. Now he almost has 24 million followers on Instagram, and since the series finale, he is cogitating about the pressure that grew up around him on one of the biggest shows in the world.
The experiences that the actor goes through are reflective of what the research studies demonstrate about the psychological impacts of being famous at a young age. Young actors/actresses are subject to the most severe questioning and scrutiny, and are under constant pressure of upholding a perfect facade. To Schnapp, this consisted of being ambushed by reporters concerning his sexuality in the age of only 12, a time when he was not even ready to talk about it in front of the crowd. He remembers it was so individual and intrusive. And, even without discussions with his publicist and manager, before coming out as gay in 2023, it was not a personal choice, but one that necessitated a discussion on whether it would have an impact on his career or not.
The fact that the boundaries between the celebrities and the fans are blurred in the age of parasocial relationships adds to these pressures. Fans are used to the feeling of entitlement to personal information, and adoration may turn into dominance as research points out. This is something Schnapp has witnessed with his own eyes: in his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, students would beat his dorm door at any hour, screaming his name. Casual activities may also cause the need to be cornered to take selfies. All the people are pretty respectful in general but they overstep a lot.
This level of constant focus may disorient self-esteem particularly when social media is involved. Schnapp confesses that at one time he used to spend hours sending and receiving messages and being online to search about his name. He has since moved away having a reminder on his vision board that reads Social media is not real life. He has come to know that validation is capricious, and up and down. When you are high, they all desire you and when you are low, they do not. You must learn not to base your self-esteem on such individuals who are not acquainted with you.
Limitations are essential. Scholars mention that young stars that impose restrictions on the accessibility of the media, online and offline, has higher chances to safeguard their psychological well-being. They can overcome it by adopting healthy coping strategies like therapy, peer support, and mentorship that can enable them to go through the process of transitioning to adulthood without losing their identity. Schnapp attributes his own therapist with making him realize the special difficulties of his life. Over the years, it turns into, No, this is an abnormal life, and you require some form of a support system not necessarily the parents, he says.
His position is the same as the one of the Ariana Grande who asks studios and labels to offer therapy to child stars. History of the entertainment industry is replete with instances of young performers, who have to bear the burden of fame, and in some cases it has been followed by a tragic event. The proactive mental health care is something that can help avert such losses, which is advocated by Schnapp.
To fans, the knowledge about the human cost of fame will make them reconsider their relationship with celebrities. Such boundaries, avoiding entitlement, and acknowledging that even those in public positions are not merely their job descriptions can aid in developing a healthier culture. Schnapp keeps it short and to the point as he goes through the phases of college, finding a place beyond the screen, and leaving the web behind the screen: that fame should not replace good health and that a child should never have to face it without a professional guide to help him or her.
