Celebrities as Role Models
Introduction
Generational change or transition is irresistible among the young people. Many of the young people often adopt actions and habits of the new generation once they attain the age of proper inductive reasoning, yet the mentorship and direction still challenges the society (Spurgin 118). Many people who have the right qualities and values to become mentors and idols to the young people; however, celebrities affect youths, who follow them in quest of attaining their status. The question that remains unanswered revolves around the reasons why celebrities command such a level of control over the young people. The drive in the young people to follow the footsteps remains a question of bother as to why moral decay becomes the order of the day or whether celebrities offer better deals that the society does not offer them. The paper argues that there are many positive role models, mentors, and local heroes in today’s society, yet they are being overlooked and overshadowed with the increased media coverage of celebrities, who are usually the absolute worst role models.
High-profile celebrities
Celebrity political involvement/advocates
The political elite become the most considered role models among the young people for several reasons. Most notably, the reasons behind the political class’ idolization in the society today do not revolve around the moral standards but their authority. In most economies, the society develops people to think that political power presents the greatest achievement hence the young people tend to idolize the politicians with the view that they will once become successful, as they are (Ferris 392). The power and control that the politicians assume makes them more preferred as idols in the society.
Teen Idols
The young people possess a lot of influence on their peers especially by virtue that they become the first contact people when they grow up together. In most cases, personal characteristics and individual efforts coupled with natural talent make the young people to idolize their peer friends (Deveny 40). Some of the young people possess natural talent, which they use to exploit their peer friends and win over their trust in the end. The peer friends ted to aspire and copy their friends who have talents in interesting areas like sports, music, leadership, and general in-born talents hence they idolize them in the end.
Musicians
As the generational change takes shape, musicians win over the society with more ease and the people consider them as the most successful individuals. Musicians assume a strategic position in the contemporary society because of their high command (Ferri 404). Most people have individual issues in their lives that they would like people to handle and touch on whether personally or through some art. In this sense, musicians do exactly what the society craves for them. People idolize musicians because of their fame and the fact that they promote habits that aligns with their personal desires. However, individuals forget that the success of a celebrity may be the price one pays to fame (Celebrity Privacy 3). This means that a celebrity private life is not a ground to publicize.
Athletes
The athletes fall in the class of sports people, who come second in popularity hence idolization after the musicians. Many people wish to be like the athletes because most of the athletes earn high incomes through activities that they enjoy (Ferri 403). However, the main reason why people idolize the athletes comes from their fame and their fighting spirit. Most of the athletes fight to win irrespective of the circumstances. Most people want idols who do not give up hence the athletes present the best choice for them.
Reality TV stars
Ordinary Jane’s and average Joe’s
Most people in the society today want to have the tag of people who can express themselves and break to people talks without much struggle. The assertive people in the society easily win on the people not because they have any special features but because they can win people’s attention easily. Apparently, ordinary people on television shows have learnt that and they do their best to catch the viewers’ attention. Despite their ordinary state, the fact that they can fake confidence and catch the attention of the people makes them the idol of the family.
Fifteen minutes of fame
Many young people who dominate the population in the current generation like the things that come easily and instantly. The fast growing celebrities attract the young people more because they can get their fortunes in the shortest time possible. The television show people who win the young people do nothing more than just attracting the most sensitive parts of the young people’s lives. Most of the times, the young people idolize the TV presenters because they wish to ascend to their levels at some point in time (Jamieson 45).
Media: Instigate or Investigate
Most of the people also idolize the news researchers and investigative journalists for reasons they attach to their courage.
Capturing the story
Investigative journalism
Irrespective of what motivates the journalists into investigations that put even their own lives in danger, the people consider the results and acknowledge them as their heirs. Most people idolize the investigative journalists because they feel that they risk their lives for the love they possess for the society. In the same mindset, they ignore their negative side and only concentrate on the good that they do for them. However, investigative journalism presents various threats to the society (Sidebar 1).
Tabloid journalism
Few people would hate a person who discusses the matter they have doubt over until they get the clarity they seek. It is common to find a group of people crowded arguing about a sensitive matter and agree on it only after they consult a tabloid journalist. Many people currently have the tabloid journalist who they feel are able to respond to controversial issues. However, depending entirely on the information provided by the journalists is detrimental because some journalists may utilize strategies that are not genuine to obtain their stories. Accordingly, the society may embrace theories developed by the journalists that can often be biased (Sidebar 2).
Social-media where the cowards dwell
Hostile environment
Various controversies emerge in the media, which make individuals seek for specialists who can help them understand the reality on the ground. People face attacks based on a number of things, be they what they do or what they believe in. Blogging presents the most notorious harsh people on the social media, whom the people use to win their own arguments and tackle fights that they fear in reality. Owners of the heavily trending pages also benefit from the harsh environments on the social sites and use their time to make their roles known. In the end, people idolize them because they help them win wars they would have lost. Scholars have highlighted the rise of hostility in media in latest date, which affirms the significance of being alert of this trend (Marketwired 3).
Online bullying
The newest and most prolific bullying comes from the web users, who face a lot of harassment especially on the social media sites. Most people idolize the people who bully others because they feel that they have more prowess and knowledge than the bullied people do. Such feelings progress to formation of wrong targets as the young people aim at such characters and personality.
Parent’s role
Example of a role model
The parents must take a front role if the view of the society should change towards the right mentors. Initially, parent should be good role models to their children and help them choose their heroes. When the child believes in what the parents do, they will not easily turn to any other doctrines. Parents must provide the right footsteps and guide their children in choosing the right mentors.
Teaching discipline and integrity
When children have knowledge of the right morals, they are able to differentiate good habits from bad ones. The parents should train the young people at a tender age on the discipline that they need in life and the essence of integrity. This is the only way that the children will choose the right mentors, as they will evaluate them basing on their discipline and integrity.
Mentor decision making skills
The youths make mistakes by mimicking bad characters of the idols ignorantly. Some of the young people choose the wrong company yet others just choose the wrong mentors. All the same, they bring about the need for the parents to train their children to make the right decisions all the time and avoid the sides that can easily land them in trouble. This is possible when the parents assume the responsibility of educating their children on the weaknesses and strengths of their teen idols (Brown 2).
Exposing children to positive mentors
Teaching the children about mentors and choice may not serve as adequate resources for their decision. The parents must expose the children to good mentors so that they can borrow some knowledge and choose the right idols. Often, media is insensitive because it explores celebrity’s private affairs without considering their consequences to the society (Sidebar 3). This means that the parents have an important role of ensuring that their children have an access with only information that has a constructive effect on their morals.
Conclusion
As much as people blame the children and the young people for the choice of their mentors and idols, the society fails in its important role of directing youths into making the correct choices. The society must develop an all-round method that the young people can use to identify their idols. The method should allow the young people to select their role models based on some positive fact and not on celebrity, as it is in the current state.
Works Cited
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Jamieson, Donna. "Role Models, Mentors, and Other Heroes." Relational Child & Youth Care Practice 26.1 (2013): 43-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 July 2013
Marketwired."Antisocial Networks?Hostility on Social Media Rising for 78 Percent of Users." Marketwire (English) 10 Apr. 2013: Points of View Reference Center.Web. 12 July 2013. This article discusses the rise of hostility of the social media environment. I plan to use this article to support the idea of social media becoming a hostile environment.
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Spurgin, Earl. "Hey, How Did I Become a Role Model? Privacy and the Extent of Role-Model Obligations." Journal of Applied Philosophy 29.2 (2012): 118-132. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 July 2013.
