Like it or not, celebrities are role models for people – not just kids – everywhere. Some embrace the position, doing their best to be the best example that they possibly can be. Others push back, believing that they are not truly role models and shouldn’t be seen as such.

There are a ton of artists out there who receive criticism, particularly from parents. One of them is Lady Gaga. But the question remains: is Lady Gaga a good role model?

Opening Up About Mental Health

There are more than a few reasons why Lady Gaga may be a good role model, it is how she speaks about mental health. Lady Gaga’s parents may be where she gets that from as her mother is a telecommunications executive turned mental health advocate.

Gaga has been quite open about her mental health issues, something that teens deal with on a daily basis. She has talked about suffering through anxiety and depression nearly every day of her life, even after becoming a big star.

Her song Born This Way was a message that being yourself is okay but it is also something that she tries to tell herself. She believes that society is less connected and shallower than ever before, something that inherently is not human.

Encouraging Emotional Well-Being

Is Lady Gaga a good role model? It can be said that she is because she speaks out about emotional intelligence and well-being. She spoke at a gathering known as Emotion Revolution. It is a day-long summit that was hosted by her “Born This Way” Foundation as well as the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

She spoke to a room full of teens, talking intimately about the pressure that exists to maintain her image. That pressure became so severe that she nearly quit the music business. It is a struggle that some celebrities face that the public never hears about.

Showing that even someone rich, famous, and successful struggles with emotional pressure can be eye-opening for kids and teens that are going through their own problems. It is an example that everyone deals with their own problems and that there is a way to make it through all of that.

Gaga opens up about feeling used by the industry, a tool to make others money. She felt that she had more to offer than simply her image. It led to struggles with her creativity and passion, something that she had to address.

Speaking About Women’s Safety

Though it was seen as somewhat controversial, she released a video called “Til It Happens To You.” It is a depiction of campus rape and the casualties that come with it. The issue itself was rarely spoken about, despite the fact that nearly 20 percent of women who attend college are sexually assaulted. That is not even mentioning the 88 percent of women who have been raped on campus and have not reported it.

It is a major issue for women everywhere, but it got so little attention for so long. She used her platform to bring the issue to light. Not only the issue of reporting, but the likelihood that women will be assaulted while on campus.

She also teamed with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to support legislation that would provide support to the victims of campus assault. She also revealed her own personal experiences, talking about being raped when she was 19.

She opened up about all the physical and emotional therapy that she went to as well as the mental issues that would come over the years. She talks about how her music gave her the support that she required to move forward and to start recovering.

She also talked about how the incident didn’t impact her substantially until years later. She tried to internalize the situation, to hide it, but it led to trauma that she was forced to deal with. Being an advocate for women’s health and safety is not something that everyone does. With her platform, she brings credence to the issue where it may not have gotten attention before.

Inspiring Creativity

Perhaps what she is most known for is inspiring creativity. From her music to provocative outfits, she has been the beacon of inspiration for so many. She promotes being herself and being true to herself, something that more young people could stand to hear.

She has been recognized for not only her music, but her impact on people everywhere. She shows that you can be creative, that art can be a protective layer, that it can help people anywhere navigate the treacherous parts of life.

Conclusion

Though there are detractors of her music and the way she presents herself, millions look up to Lady Gaga as a role model. She has been open about mental health struggles in her life, encouraging her fans to be themselves, and so much more.

There are a plethora of celebrities out there that don’t do a fraction of the things that she has to be a good role model. At the end of the day, she sets the kind of example that parents can be confident that their children are hearing.