These days people want to be known for any reason at all. They will write and post anything for the likes. Likes on facebook and Instagram has become a drug, a driving force. Be careful what you write or post. Yes, it can earn you likes, it may even earn you money but at what cost? Yesterday Harvard University rescinded 10 admission offers into its fall freshman class after learning prospective students traded sexually explicit and offensive messages on Facebook. Increasingly, employers and colleges are looking into social media accounts of candidates. You can be smart in real life and be dumb online, you will be made to pay for your foolishness.The desire for likes and social media acceptance brought the difference between being popular and being famous to my consciousness this morning.

Most of us tend to use the words famous and popular interchangeably. Again, there is a clear difference between these two words. A popular person is liked by thousands while a famous is known for doing something notable by many people. That notable thing may be good or evil. Hitler is famous!

A person who is famous may be known by thousands of people, but he or she may not be liked and loved by people. Dino Melaye is famous for his thuggery and certificate scandal, but not popular. However, when a person is popular, he naturally becomes famous as well – President Obama is an example. Everyone is free to decide what otherness they portray on social media. It is your choice but choice have consequences.

Take Away
A popular person is liked by many people.
A famous person may not be liked by many people but he is known.
You can become famous without being popular.
A famous person becomes popular when he is liked by a lot of people.
A popular person is naturally famous.