While children might idolize celebrities for their talent and work ethic, they might also idolize their bad habits.

The media seems to portray drinking and driving as a way of life in Hollywood, and the same can be said about eating disorders.  When the first big stay debuted her new skeletal look, even other celebrities began to copy the unhealthy fad.  Children may find inspiration in sports, but even athletes have recently taught us that it is okay to use steroids to better one’s career.

The idea that music and movies negatively influence children is a bit unreasonable.  Viewers imitating stunts that were carefully choreographed are clearly acting irrationally and filmmakers should hardly be held responsible for the resulting accidents.  Children repeating what they hear from music artists whose content is meant to be geared toward more mature audiences need an intervention from their parents.  Apparently, the common element missing here is responsibility.

If celebrities in these industries were more responsible in their personal lives, however, it would be easier to stand up for responsibility.  When a celebrity has a scandalous affair, the media will cover it sooner than it will cover a positive event.  It is more important to cater to consumer interest than it is to create a positive image for children, and the fact is, consumers want slander.  They want gossip, which is yet another negative effect the media is provoking celebrities to have on children.

Young girls have more pressure than ever these days.  To have a perfect complexion, to follow the latest trends in order to maintain popularity, and to be comfortable being sexually objectified to name only a few.  These girls see celebrities receiving recognition for their nefarious and degrading behavior and they learn, naturally, that this is the most effective way to gain attention and more seriously, to gain the approval of their classmates.

Young boys aren’t exempt from this adverse influence either.  Emulating celebrities may encourage them to engage in excersize or dieting routines that may poorly affect their health to achieve a more “acceptable” body type, to commit crimes or other immoral acts in attempts to glean prosperity, and particularly to reinforce the idea that teen girls be sex objects to be adequate.

This is obviously a difficult time to raise children and it’s easy to blame the media but the main objective shouldn’t be to censor celebrities, it should be to provide our children with the proper guidance through instilling values and conviction.  How movie stars live their lives is impossible to control but we can control our methods of parenting and try our best to direct the outcome.