Where Do These Illusions Stem From?
According to the Common Sense Census, children aged 8-12 average more than four and a half hours of screen media use a day, and teenagers more than six and a half hours a day.
Additionally, the values emphasized in television shows have changed; in an analysis conducted by the Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, fame rose from the bottom of the value rankings in 1967 to the top value in 2007. Non-idividualistic values, such as community feeling, tradition, and benevolence showed sharp declines in relative importance from 1967 to 2007.
Past television shows aimed at the public, such as Happy Days, Friends and The Brady Bunch, supported togetherness and the importance of community. In contrast, the most popular contemporary programs aimed at children focus on fame and personal image, as seen in Hannah Montana, iCarly and American Idol.
Children's goals, morals and motivations are influenced by the media they are exposed to, and the current generation's priorities heavily reflect the glut of fame-focused media. In a study conducted by the Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 40 percent of teenagers surveyed ranked fame first in a list of seven values, including community feeling, image, benevolence, fame, self-acceptance, financial success, and achievement.
The modern obsession with fame among adolescents and children stems from a fixation on fame within the media they consume, which is amplified and manifested through social media platforms. Fame-seeking leads to the creation of online personas in an attempt to cultivate fame, which creates and perpetuates the illusion.
Additionally, the values emphasized in television shows have changed; in an analysis conducted by the Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, fame rose from the bottom of the value rankings in 1967 to the top value in 2007. Non-idividualistic values, such as community feeling, tradition, and benevolence showed sharp declines in relative importance from 1967 to 2007.
Past television shows aimed at the public, such as Happy Days, Friends and The Brady Bunch, supported togetherness and the importance of community. In contrast, the most popular contemporary programs aimed at children focus on fame and personal image, as seen in Hannah Montana, iCarly and American Idol.
Children's goals, morals and motivations are influenced by the media they are exposed to, and the current generation's priorities heavily reflect the glut of fame-focused media. In a study conducted by the Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 40 percent of teenagers surveyed ranked fame first in a list of seven values, including community feeling, image, benevolence, fame, self-acceptance, financial success, and achievement.
The modern obsession with fame among adolescents and children stems from a fixation on fame within the media they consume, which is amplified and manifested through social media platforms. Fame-seeking leads to the creation of online personas in an attempt to cultivate fame, which creates and perpetuates the illusion.