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February 2007 |
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Popular culture gives teens the idea that
fame is more important than anything
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It
is no surprise that we live in a culture that glorifies
the rich and famous. We have become obsessed with
breakups and breakdowns of the stars through magazines,
Internet, television, and all the other venues. If you
don't think this is an issue with teens, think about
this question Jake Halpern asked to over 650 teens in
his book called "Fame Junkies": "Given a choice of
becoming the CEO of a major corporation, the president
of Yale or Harvard, a Navy SEAL, a U.S. senator or "the
personal assistant to a very famous singer or movie
star," almost half of the girls — 43.4% — chose the
assistant role" (jakehalpern.com).
You might
think this is absurd, but for many teens this is
reality. Teens want what they think fame brings, and
that is the Three A's: affluence, attractiveness, and
achievement. The picture painted by our culture shows
that the more of the Three A's you have, the better your
life will be. God reminds us in Luke 14 that we have our
priorities all wrong. Jesus tells a story of someone
being invited to a wedding feast. He reminds us not to
take the place of honor because someone more
distinguished could show up. Then, He says in Luke
14:11, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Helping
teens see the value of exalting Christ instead of
themselves is where true success and fame can be found.
As we lift Him up, our priorities shift to Him and to
others. The most famous in God's eyes are the one's who
love, serve, and give when no one else is looking.
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Here
are some tips to help parents keep fame-obsessed teens under
control.
1. Resist
putting a television and computer in your teen's room. This
allows them to watch indiscriminately. It is better for you to
know what they watch; that way you can discuss the
programs.
2. Encourage your teen to think about their
favorite shows and media personalities. Do they reflect the
values of your family, school, community or church?
3.
Ask your teen to talk about the kinds of things they like best
about their friends, family, teachers, and coaches. Is it that
they're famous, rich, and good looking? Or is it that they're
fun, funny, helpful, caring, friendly, and smart?
4.
Stay current with the programs, music, and video games your
teens are consuming so you'll be able to have an informed
discussion with them about the people and images they're
exposed to.
(Excerpt from the New Mexico Media
Literacy Project's publication, "The State of Media
Education")
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 Usaweekend.com asked teens some very
interesting questions about famous people. Here is what
they found:
Which quality matters most to you in a celebrity?
(Pick one)
36% Talent
32% Personality
17%
Character
15% Looks
Do you agree with this statement: When
celebrities make the following choices, a lot of teens
want to do the same.
77% - Lose weight
62% -
Pierce a body part
58% - Get a tattoo
48% -
Drink alcohol
47% - Smoke cigarettes
39% - Take
drugs
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* When
given an option to become stronger, smarter, famous, or better
looking, boys in a survey chose fame almost as often as
intelligence, and girls chose it more often.
(usatoday.com)
