Celebrity Role Models
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/celebrity-role-models
Celebrities Role Models
Media Role Models Have a Huge Influence on Kids * By the time our kids are in middle school, they start to look to their peers for a sense of what’s socially acceptable or desirable. * Kids choose public personas as role models, but there are no guarantees that a star will stick to a lifestyle that kids can look up to -- or that parents will approve of. * Studies show a direct link between role models, advertising, and the effects that both have on our kids' behavior. * Celebrities use the Internet to communicate directly with their fans.
Media is a gigantic super-peer
As parents, we have a natural instinct to choose who we want our kids to be friends with -- and who we'd rather they not hang around. The same instinct kicks in for media role models. We like iCarly because she's smart and kind. SpongeBob? Maybe not so much.
In today's 24/7 media environment, in which kids may be spending more time with media than they are with their parents, choosing positive role models is more important than ever. At Common Sense, we often refer to media as "the other parent" -- that's how much influence it has in your kids' lives. Role models matter. Help your kids find good ones.
What it is
You don't have to look much farther than the Ariel costume in your daughter's closet or the light saber in your son's toy box to know that kids emulate their favorite characters.
By the time our kids are in middle school, they start to look to their peers for a sense of what's socially acceptable or desirable. Parents may remain the primary influence in their kids' lives, but the competition starts to get fierce at this age. This separation is entirely age appropriate. But when the media comes into play, the values you want to pass down to your kids may be competing against, say, Homer Simpson's.
Why it matters
Our kids' media environment goes way beyond television.
Celebrities Role Models
Media Role Models Have a Huge Influence on Kids * By the time our kids are in middle school, they start to look to their peers for a sense of what’s socially acceptable or desirable. * Kids choose public personas as role models, but there are no guarantees that a star will stick to a lifestyle that kids can look up to -- or that parents will approve of. * Studies show a direct link between role models, advertising, and the effects that both have on our kids' behavior. * Celebrities use the Internet to communicate directly with their fans.
Media is a gigantic super-peer
As parents, we have a natural instinct to choose who we want our kids to be friends with -- and who we'd rather they not hang around. The same instinct kicks in for media role models. We like iCarly because she's smart and kind. SpongeBob? Maybe not so much.
In today's 24/7 media environment, in which kids may be spending more time with media than they are with their parents, choosing positive role models is more important than ever. At Common Sense, we often refer to media as "the other parent" -- that's how much influence it has in your kids' lives. Role models matter. Help your kids find good ones.
What it is
You don't have to look much farther than the Ariel costume in your daughter's closet or the light saber in your son's toy box to know that kids emulate their favorite characters.
By the time our kids are in middle school, they start to look to their peers for a sense of what's socially acceptable or desirable. Parents may remain the primary influence in their kids' lives, but the competition starts to get fierce at this age. This separation is entirely age appropriate. But when the media comes into play, the values you want to pass down to your kids may be competing against, say, Homer Simpson's.
Why it matters
Our kids' media environment goes way beyond television.