Identity Achievement and Idol Worship among Teenagers in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Worship of idols, typically comprising pop stars and athletic stars, is common among the younger generation. Its influences on youth's identity achievement, however, have largely been an untapped area in empirical research. The present study aims to conduct a holistic analysis of the origins, processes, and consequences of idol worship with regard to identity achievement. It collects data from 833 Chinese teenagers in Hong Kong through a telephone survey. The data allow for a causal analysis that reveals the processes of illusory romance, reification, and vainglory orientation in idol worship as predictors of lower identity achievement in the teenager. Moreover, a teenager who had greater exposure to the image and voice of stars on television and radio would suffer lower identity achievement.