A shocking new survey has revealed that children aged 9 to 11 now hold ‘fame’ as their number one value (It ranked 15th in 1997). The study, published in the Journal of Psychology Research on Cyberspace reveals that the lure of stardom is every child’s dream – above financial success and physical fitness.
Dr. Patricia Greenfield, from the Department of Psychology at UCLA and co-author of the study, said:
“(Tweens) are unrealistic about what they have to do to become famous. They may give up on actually preparing for careers and realistic goals.”
Yalda Uhls, the lead author of the study, went further to say:
“With Internet celebrities and reality TV stars everywhere, the pathway for nearly anyone to become famous, without a connection to hard work and skill, may seem easier than ever. When being famous and rich is much more important than being kind to others, what will happen to kids as they form their values and their identities?”
This study, posted on Perez Hilton’s website, makes a stark comment on the younger generation’s goals and really implies the negative effects that shows like X-Factor or Britain’s got talent create on children waiting to be ‘discovered’. Hopefully kids can learn that ‘fame’ is something that is rarely ever obtained through a career in performance, but working hard at what you love can make more of a difference to your life than a television screen!
2 comments
Alice says:
Aug 23, 2011
This is kind of weird, but also, kind of expected. And actually, I think I’d be more worried if say, 15-20 year olds held fame as their number 1 priority. I think it’s natural for 9 year olds to say – ‘I want to be a famous footballer’ or ‘I want to be on TV’ because other than doctors and teachers, those are the only jobs they really ‘see’ in their lives if you know what I mean. But I think that if fame is still what you’re aiming for when you’re a bit older, then you’ve got a problem. But you’re definitely right that any teenagers thinking they’re gonna get fame from acting definitely need a reality check; do it because you enjoy it, not because you want to be a celebrity!
Tara says:
Oct 9, 2011
You hear so much about children with weight and image issues I thought it would be they’d want to be skinny most of all. This is still bad, but maybe it’s something they will realise isn’t that easy, and isn’t something they need. Schools generally teach children about lots of different jobs, and they might find jobs they love and learn that they don’t need fame to be happy. It would be harder to avoid feeling the need to be thin or beautiful. I would love to act, but if I could choose between fame or no fame, I’d pick no fame! And I don’t really expect to get a paid acting job either. As long I can act somehow, even if not as a job, then I’ll be okay.