Children can be easily manipulated and are very impressionable. Children look to their peers to determine what is socially acceptable (Common sense media, 2011). This can be positive and negative depending on the hero or celebrity that they look up to.
Unfortunately many television shows utilize celebrities for entertainment in a way that impacts children negatively. These celebrities are typically not the best role models because television networks exploit celebrity lifestyles with sexual content, foul language, and fighting.
Who wouldn’t want the lifestyle of a celebrity? They get paid to pretend to be extraordinary people, everyone loves them, and they get everything they want. Children look up to these people and want to be like them. When television shows, like E News, show these celebrities drunk, and getting in arguments, children develop an understanding that this is how people are allowed to behave.
The celebrities can actually have the opposite impact on children as well. These celebrities include the boy band called the Jonas Brothers and the actress, Anne Hathaway. Although the Jonas Brothers receive criticism they have always promoted abstinence, and avoided drugs and alcohol (Soukup, 2011). Anne Hathaway has never been shown in the media drinking or arguing. She always conducts herself with class and she is involved in several charities (Soukup, 2011). These types of role models deliver the right message to developing children.
Children can also look up to heroes as role models. Heroes provide lessons to children about nobility and doing the right thing. Heroes on television like Rick on The Walking Dead provide examples of a man with good qualities and attributes. Rick never
Written Analysis: Heroes and the Cult of the Celebrity
leaves a person behind and is always trying to do the right thing even if it means sacrificing his own life. This may teach children to be selfless.
Reference
Common sense media. (2011). Celebrity role models. Retrieved October 17, 2011 from
Soukup, A. (2011). Good and bad celebrity role models. Retrieved October 17, 2011
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