In our modern world, celebrity news is ubiquitous, bombarding us 24/7. Many feel that this constant stream of star gossip is having a detrimental effect on youngsters. Personally, I completely agree that not only is the quantity of such ‘news’ troubling, but also the content sends the wrong message to children.
There can be no doubt that the overwhelming amount of celebrity news in the media these days sends a powerful and worrying message to young people. When, despite global crises or tragedies, Kim Kardashian’s latest selfie is headline news, it suggests to children that celebrities and their glamorous lives are the most important things in the world. This, in turn, implies that fame ought to be the ultimate goal in everyone’s life. Such a message undermines the importance of education, of striving to achieve, and of pursuing a career in a field other than show business. Rather than being swamped by images of actors and singers, young people should be surrounded by stories of compassion, leadership and inspiration.
In addition to the sheer volume of celeb news, there is also the actual content to consider. Rarely do we see stars celebrated in the media for their humanitarian work or acts of generosity. Instead, the media reports on Britney’s weight gain or loss, Beckham’s new hairstyle, or Angelina’s new shoes. This focus on superficiality reinforces the idea that life is all about looking good and having an expensive wardrobe. For young people, this message can lead to serious body image issues including anorexia and bulimia, as well as an unrealistic view of the world and of success.
In conclusion, the media is saturated with the minutiae of celebrities’ lives and this is having a negative impact on the way young people see themselves and the world. It is therefore incumbent on parents and educators to steer young people away from such nonsense and towards more important stories that may inspire and motivate them to achieve something beyond simply fame.
In our modern
world
,
celebrity
news
is ubiquitous, bombarding us 24/7.
Many
feel that this constant stream of star gossip is having a detrimental effect on youngsters.
Personally
, I completely
agree
that not
only
is the quantity of such
‘news’
troubling,
but
also
the content
sends
the
wrong
message
to children.
There can be no doubt that the overwhelming amount of
celebrity
news
in the
media
these days
sends
a powerful and worrying
message
to
young
people
. When, despite global crises or tragedies, Kim Kardashian’s latest selfie is headline
news
, it suggests to children that
celebrities
and their glamorous
lives
are the most
important
things in the
world
. This, in turn, implies that fame ought to be the ultimate goal in everyone’s life. Such a
message
undermines the importance of education, of striving to achieve, and of pursuing a career in a field other than
show
business.
Rather
than
being swamped
by images of actors and singers,
young
people
should
be surrounded
by stories of compassion, leadership and inspiration.
In addition
to the sheer volume of celeb
news
, there is
also
the actual content to consider. Rarely do we
see
stars celebrated in the
media
for their humanitarian work or acts of generosity.
Instead
, the
media
reports on Britney’s weight gain or loss, Beckham’s
new
hairstyle, or Angelina’s
new
shoes. This focus on superficiality reinforces the
idea
that life is all about looking
good
and having an expensive wardrobe. For
young
people
, this
message
can lead to serious body image issues including anorexia and bulimia,
as well
as an unrealistic view of the
world
and of success.
In conclusion
, the
media
is saturated
with the minutiae of
celebrities’
lives
and this is having a
negative
impact on the way
young
people
see
themselves and the
world
. It is
therefore
incumbent on parents and educators to steer
young
people
away from such nonsense and towards more
important
stories that may inspire and motivate them to achieve something beyond
simply
fame.