She’s 18 years old, owns a  two million dollar house and is a part of one of the nation’s most controversial families. Her rising fame is most attributed to her association and appearance on the E! reality television series, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Despite the constant viewership on the show, Kylie Jenner’s continual retention and expansion in the public eye remains a mystery to most. Perhaps, the only reason why I even continue to write this article is due to the fame and interest she has sparked.

A quick glance at any one of Jenner’s social media profiles will allow for an impression of disappointment in many parents and a sense of envy in their teenage children. Her life appears to be a perpetual night of expensive cars, the latest fashion and of course, the parties.

Junior Cami Hays said that, “Kylie is a bad influence for our generation as she emphasizes materialistic values and poor morals through the most susceptible means possible: social media.”

So then why do we continue to grant her so much attention for simply living her flashy life? Why do we feed into her land of  narcissism fueled by the concept of reality TV? Perhaps, there is no means by which to measure her fame, or understand why it remains intact. But, the next question lies in discerning whether or not she represents a positive or negative focus in all the attention she has been granted.

A recent and most peculiar fad that occurred was that of the “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge,” in which fans attempted to enlarge their lips by using the inside of a bottle and creating a vacuum effect. Though the fad  initially seemed harmless and a comical addition to the effects of Kylie Jenner on teenagers across America, it quickly turned into a dangerous trend when kids began to inadvertently burst the blood vessels in their lips as a result of the procedure. Some experienced bruising post-challenge, and the uncontrollable swelling of the lips proved to be a somewhat painful experience. Doctors even commented on news outlets encouraging teenage girls not to follow this ridiculous trend.

I don’t believe that Jenner ever intended for the challenge to even occur in the first place. However, the fad did  originate from her alleged decision to pursue facial plastic surgery, which further supports the question inquiring as to the degree of her influence.  Jenner often posts to social media stating that she wishes for girls to “be themselves,” yet she is setting an unattainable standard and unrealistic expectations for many girls. It seems as if the only solution to solve the problem was if icons such as Jenner continued to act on their positive message that they “tweet” to teenage girls while also fighting the societal pressures to look a certain way because it would boost their “attractive” qualities.

I have never met Kylie Jenner, and based on the current path of life, I don’t suppose that I will ever find myself in such a position. However, because of the lack of privacy her life and the persona she embodies, I have come to the conclusion that her fame is not one of beneficial influence on society’s perception of teenage girls. I would hope that girls turn to a celebrity or notable individual, past or present, whom they have deemed inspiring; not someone whom they believe to “have it all.” Hopefully, those “rising stars” such as Jenner realize that their influence also includes a degree of social responsibility and aim to be the role models that teenage girls need them to be.