| In today's world of 24/7 media young children are | | | | Everyday both children and adults are bombarded |
| constantly exposed to images of their favourite pop | | | | with images of their favourite stars and it is perfectly |
| stars or film stars. The age that children become | | | | natural that they should want to emulate them by |
| immersed in the world of media is also getting | | | | dressing and acting in a similar way. However, if this |
| younger as a result of the advances in media | | | | emulation results in negative behaviour then this is |
| technology. Young children are still as impressionable | | | | when alarm bells start to ring. If we get to a stage |
| as ever, so does this mean that celebrities should | | | | that we are looking to celebrities to show us how |
| control their behaviour in order to become | | | | not to behave rather than how we ought to behave |
| appropriate role models for their fans? | | | | then it is time to reconsider how we view celebrities. |
| Firstly, celebrities are absolutely aware of the | | | | Of course it is natural to be more concerned with the |
| influence that they have over us normal people and | | | | effect of our celebrity saturated world on children |
| more importantly over young children. It would be | | | | and young people than adults; after all younger |
| impossible to ignore the media hype that surrounds | | | | people are more impressionable. But are we giving |
| most celebrities. Does this mean that celebrities have | | | | our children enough credit? Children are often cleverer |
| a responsibility to present themselves in a certain | | | | and more perceptive than we think they are. People |
| way? To a certain extent this is true as idolisation is | | | | have always grown up with celebrities but there has |
| something that naturally comes with the job as a | | | | never been as much concern about their influence as |
| by-product of being famous. However, it is also true | | | | there is today. So what has changed? It is true to |
| that most film stars did not decide to take up acting | | | | say that our society is extremely media saturated so |
| in order to mould the view of the public and they are | | | | perhaps it is more that we are aware of celebrity |
| of course entitled to privacy. | | | | rather than celebs having a greater influence on the |
| After all, celebrities are normal people who are | | | | public. |
| talented and have been lucky enough to be put in | | | | Whatever the reason, you cannot get away from |
| the spotlight. They will make mistakes and should not | | | | the fact that celebs do have a certain amount of |
| be chastised for doing so as it is natural human | | | | influence over the public, be it the way we dress, our |
| behaviour. What is not natural is that these mistakes | | | | aspirations or the way we behave. But it is not |
| are then played out for the whole world to see. This | | | | correct to assume that all celebrity influence is |
| is not to say that we should feel sorry for these | | | | negative. There are some celebs who present |
| celebs for being in the limelight, rather that they | | | | themselves well and do good deeds like giving money |
| should learn to exert the certain amount of control | | | | to charity. There are some celebrities who shy away |
| that they do have to make sure that they are not | | | | from the limelight preferring to get on with their job. |
| setting a bad example to their young fans. We can all | | | | All we can ask from people in the spotlight is to try |
| understand that there are certain things that a | | | | and live their lives as positive role models as best |
| celebrity cannot control but they can control what | | | | they can. |
| they wear or more importantly what they are not | | | | If you or someone close to you has a favourite |
| wearing, (think Britney's knickerless scandal) and what | | | | celebrity that they idolise then have a browse on |
| they are pictured doing precisely by not doing it. It is | | | | Genuine Memorabilia's online catalogue of signed |
| not a good message to young children to see their | | | | memorabilia. There's something for everyone in their |
| favourite celeb falling out of a club at 3am dressed in | | | | catalogue of over 6,000 pieces. Visit Genuine |
| a skimpy outfit. | | | | Memorabilia today. |
