I was reading a blog post yesterday about the "dangers" of letting your kids see Disney child stars as a role model because a good portion of them go on to become "druggies, whores, and idiots." While I admire the tenacity of the writer and while I believe that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, I fervently disagree with this on several different accounts. I agree with the sentiment but I think that something is lost in translation when you make accusations like the above-quoted. Instead of coming across as someone trying to give advice or make a general statement to better the world, you come across as a religious kook that is making a very general statement about a very specific group that stands only partially true to that group. In short, you are saying that an entire apple tree is not just spoiled by a bad apple but that you shouldn't eat from any fruit trees in the orchard because one tree has bad apples.
Yes, Disney child stars have their negative attributes as adults. Actually, that is a general statement: some Disney child stars go on to make really poor decisions and have really negative attributes. Then again, a lot of child stars deal with this because they're thrust into a very unrealistic life at a very young age and spoiled by those around them. Some of them are lucky enough to have family and friends that keep them grounded. Others are not so fortunate. However, saying that all Disney child stars turn into "druggies, whores, and idiots" is an unfair statement. They make mistakes like a lot of people do when they're in their late teens and early twenties. The only difference is that their lives are so highly publicized that every mistake they made is made into a front page article on how they're wrecking their lives. I'm not condoning their behavior; they truly are make really poor choices sometimes. However, their choices are not all that different from the choices that a healthy portion of America's youth make at those ages. There's also the truth that these stars are not all making poor choices like this. Some of them are actually making incredibly good choices for their lives but these choices aren't publicized because the American' public loves drama.
With all of that being said, I think that it is perfectly safe to allow your kids to look up to Disney stars as long as they understand that they're human. Yes, that's right....even celebrities are human. I don't think that kids should ever be taught or encouraged to idolize any celebrity based on how famous, pretty, or trendy they are. I think that children should be encouraged to look deeper and realize that there are far more important qualities than physical appearance and popularity. If they are looking up to someone, they should be looking up to people that serve the community, use their talents wisely, treat others with dignity and respect, and further their education in whatever fashion they choose. There is nothing wrong with looking up to anyone that exhibits these qualities. It teaches children about the important things in life instead of looking solely at appearance.
In terms of saying it's dangerous, that depends on your approach. If you are encouraging your child to model themselves after anyone, it can turn dangerous very quickly. People are human; they make mistakes. Kids should be taught to use their talents and their positive attributes in a productive way instead of trying to do what a celebrity is doing. They should be taught that everyone is an individual and everyone has unique abilities that would do wonders in the world. It's not about modeling themselves after anyone; it's about realizing that they have a lot to offer to the world without ever having to try to be someone else.
So perhaps these bloggers need to stop criticizing how terrible these people are and look at how they're parenting their children. Perhaps if they encourage their children not to have "idols" but to have real role models and heroes, they won't find it necessary to pick apart those in the public eye quite as much.
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