Should film stars manage their own social media pages?

The ethical question I want to raise here is whether a film star should allow their updates to be 'controlled' by someone else, or take charge themselves.

Will Smith, Megan Fox, and Vin Diesel, all command huge followings on Facebook, but do they have complete control over what is said on their pages?

The idea of intellectual property crosses my mind when you look at a Facebook fan page, but it's not just that, it has a voice, and it's totally interactive. It represents a person, but it also reflects who they are, not 'what they should appear to be' at the hands of a media guru.

When a fan likes a Facebook page, there is a relationship immediately established between the two, even if its fan number 24 million. Should stars entirely manage their responses to people that sign up to their pages? I think so.

Some of the web's most successful self-made 'stars' use social networks every day, without the coldness of a daily 'press release' style announcement.

Justin Bieber is one great example of someone who controls his twitter page 100%. There is nothing more personal and thrilling for fans  than to be able to talk directly to him, rather than his responses being controlled by a publicist, or manager.

So, to conclude, celebrities, film stars, and public figures should interact with their fans, and control what they put on their pages. That's the honesty and transparency people deserve, and in the internet era, its inevitable. You need to be transparent to be legitimate. Why have someone else speak for you? To go one step further, I might add, that if you are not prepared to interact with people on the web, then you shouldn't have a social media presence.

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