Why are Celebrities Bad Role Models: Impact on Children and Teens

Introduction

How is social media affecting the way children view celebrities’ lifestyles? Children and teens spend most of their time on social media, which can be very reasonable on why they act out. Kids spend more time on social media than with their own family, Parents need to encourage children to spend less time on cell phones and more time focusing on school work. The stars of social media are just as likely to be a role model as traditional celebrities.

There are many reasons why young children look up to social media stars and want to become one of them; one reason is that social media stars post revealing photos to the internet, which would make children wish to look like them and make them feel them feel insecure. There are plenty of positive role models on social media; according to the top social media stars, these role models can encourage children to do what is right and to make positive choices. Children will follow any ‘celeb’ they see perfect. Celebrities and parents should encourage children to do activities such as sports or reading instead of picking up a phone. Children and teen are down to act like and follow what they feel is acceptable to society; by the time kids are in middle school, they look at their peers and sense social acceptance, they see if someone is odd or stand out, and they will consider them unacceptable. Children who are considered unacceptable is often the kid who is being bullied, which is not a great way of handling things.

Body

The Allure of Celebrity Lifestyles on Social Media

Children and teens are spending too much time on social media. According to common sense media, teens spend an average of nine hours a day on social media, which is the same amount of time it takes to get the proper amount of sleep. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and youtube are the top leading social media sites that young children and teens are on. These sites are popular due to how much celebrities use these sites. Children, teens, and celebrities use social media because it enables anyone to create and share content and connect with each other. The time teens and children are spending on social media is expanding more and more and is becoming a part of their everyday lives. According to the website, reaching out, being social is very important for psychological development, and by being socially connected, your child may seem less isolated and develop better social skills, and as I was saying earlier, they would be socially acceptable. I know your wonder, what does social media have to do with my topic? Well, celebrities are on social media most of the time, which is why children and teens are so addicted to social media. Social media is the easiest way for teens and children to access what is trending, and they follow what they are shown.

The Duality of Celebrity Influence: Positive and Negative Aspects

How can we stop celebrities? Many people have adopted the idea of getting celebrities involved. Celebrities can have a positive influence on youth; in fact, they can serve as role models for their younger viewers. Charities. If an actor from a famous movie gets on television and asks people at home to donate money for a cause, that advertisement will get more attention than if an unknown was to do the same, which means that all of these children will be hooked on. This means that people are donating money because someone famous told them to. A politician posting on their Twitter or Facebook account about a dilemma may get some notice. Celebrity post on their account about the same dilemma, and it can go viral. The difference is what the celebrity is associated with. Celebrities star in movies or television shows that the public enjoys. Therefore, whenever an individual sees a celebrity, their brain connects the person with the good feeling they get from watching their movie or television show. This stimulates individuals to pay more attention as opposed to watching an unknown. Just because these celebrities are promoting something does not mean it will always be a good cause. For better or worse, celebrities have a powerful impact on how teens view themselves and how they see the world. In fact, it’s easy to underestimate how much celebrities influence teenage attitudes and behavior.

The factors in which I am about to present are all factors of why Children and teens try to live the lifestyle of celebrities. Simply because of the obsession with “celebs.” These obsessions are due to how celebrities present themselves. Children and teens observe and follow what they are being shown. Children and teens are closely associated with celebrities because celebrities are reflections of what children and teens want to become; things such as stylish clothes, partying every day, fancy lifestyles, and constantly being followed by paparazzi are all factors of why children and teens want to be like celebrities. Teens see celebrities everywhere, such as in magazines, movies, television shows, etc.; they create trends and promote the latest product. Some celebs have been around for years, such as Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, and Kylie Jenner, influencing children of all ages. According to Omniscient, thirty-seven percent of students surveyed that they are influenced by the music they listen to, seventeen percent said celebrities influenced the clothes they wear, while 28.9 percent said celebrities influence the movies they see. There are many reasons why celebrities have an effect on children and teens. According to Medium Corporation, more than fifty percent of the users on Twitter follow musicians and actors. There are many celebrities who are shown as either good influencers or bad influencers.

Celebrity Influence on Body Image and Self-Worth

But famous singers, actors, and other celebrities can also provide unhealthy examples. In particular, celebrity influence on body image and substance use is often detrimental to teen mental health. Therefore, teenagers need guidance on how to interpret celebrities’ influence. Adults can engage with kids around media. In addition, they, therefore, support how children process what they see and hear. Moreover, parents and teachers can use celebrities’ stories as entry points into important discussions about health and personal choices. It’s no secret the impact a celebrity endorsement can have on a brand. It is a dynamic that has been proven to deliver results for years. Champions (UK) plc has been pairing leading brands with high-profile celebrities for well over a decade. And we can do the same for you and your brand. We work with celebrity influence from the world of TV, sport, and music. Our celebrities are aware of their followings and how to use them to create noise around a brand.

The people of our society are constantly alerted to new advertisements about popular celebrities, which causes celebrities to be unavoidable topics that are always talked about in the media. Therefore they have a huge influence over young children and teens. Today celebrities have a lot of power over our society, and no matter how much we may criticize celebs, we still find ourselves fascinated with what they are doing because we, as people, are hungry for fame. Companies use celebrities in their advertisements to promote and make their products popular. Media influence on teenagers can be deliberate; for example, advertising is often directed at children and teenagers. This means that children and teenagers are increasingly conscious of brands and images. You’re not alone if your child has pestered you to buy the next ‘in’ thing.

Celebrity Influence on Materialism and Consumerism

The behavioral differences in young children and teens are because of how they view celebrities and what celebs post on social media. When celebrities post on social media, teens get a sense of who the celebs are as people. Their interests, struggles, lifestyles, and vacations. When celebs use their popularity to bring attention to the wrongs of the world, this can be impactful to teens. They learn that you can use your own influence to make a difference. For some children and teens, obsession with celebrities is so strong that fans will walk, talk and act like celebrities. Many fans are teenagers, and we don’t understand why teens are obsessed with celebrities. “Their larger-than-life presence, popularity, lifestyle, and money. It’s more than good looks. It’s what they represent.” That doesn’t make sense. For teens, it is what their celebrity represents that the teen identifies with. Whether it is a character they’re portraying, philanthropy, lifestyle, etc., the fantasy is that celebs have easy lives, no problems, are always catered to, have perfect bodies, are always happy, etc., may also be popular and a way of gaining acceptance at school when a teen is well-informed about the latest celebrity trend and dirt. Teens and children are obsessed with money, power, and fame, which can cause them to act out.

According to MGH Clay Center, “Reality TV typically reveals inappropriate behavior within peer groups, often promoting interpersonal drama, aggression, and bullying. For example, women in The Real Housewives franchise gossip, back-stab, and behave aggressively, condescendingly, and catty toward one another. The expression of relational aggression between females seen across several reality shows gives girls the idea that gossiping is a normal part of a female relationship, that it’s in girls’ natures to be divisive and competitive with one another, and that being mean earns respect and is often necessary to get what you want.”

“As we try to discourage bullying, gossiping, and other forms of interpersonal aggression between young girls, it’s unfortunate that reality shows often feature adults behaving in exactly this manner, all the while continuing to gain popularity in mainstream media.” MGH Clay Center states that television shows celebrities fight and bully others, which can cause teens and children to act like what they are shown in shows like the real housewives franchise. They also give tips on how to talk with your children about reality television. The top three tips are one, find out if TV images affect your child’s self-image and values. Two, talk to your child about why she likes certain characters. And three, Help your child develop critical responses to what she observes on reality TV.

Also, while I was reading about my topic, I came across an article on science daily.com it states, “Celebrities can have a positive influence on youth. In fact, they can serve as role models. But famous singers, actors, and other celebrities can also provide unhealthy examples. In particular, celebrity influence on body image and substance use is often detrimental to teen mental health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are statements that prove children and young teens tend to act out and behave differently because of how celebrities portray; some may take what they see and behave positively and want to be the opposite of what they see celebrities doing. Also, people may think that celebrities are bad influencers and would want to stay away from them, and some may think they’re good influencers and want to be like them, but out of all celebrities have the largest influence on our society, mostly our children and young teens.
“See what you want, be what you be, do not lose yourself on this long journey, but at the end of the day, be who you desire to be.”
Jonquil Melton

References

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