In a society that glamorizes celebrities, parents should beware that it’s not unusual for children to look up to these people as role models.
It’s not the responsibility of celebrities to censor themselves. It’s the responsibility of the parent to censor what their children are exposed to, especially if the behavior of these so-called role models is teaching our youth that it’s okay, even cool, to break the law, to get drunk, use drugs and to be disrespectful towards others.
This is not the message most parents want their children to hear, whether they have a toddler or teenager.
That being said, the burden of teaching children the difference between right and wrong, of teaching them morals and being good people lies with parents, not celebrities.
With access to celebrities becoming more readily available in this age of technology, it is easy to get sucked into the drama of their lives.
You can easily look them up on websites such as omg! from Yahoo! where you can access “celebrity gossip, news photos, babies, couples, hotties, and more,” according to the website.
Recently on the website’s homepage is an article titled “Ray J’s ‘I hit it first’ all about Kim Kardashian.”
This is cause for concern, not concern for Ray J or Kim K or even Kanye West, but for the youth and what they are being subjected to.
Celebrities are going to do what they do best: produce their work and live their lives in the light of the media.
Some journalists are going to do what they do best: give people information about topics they find interesting, namely celebrities.
It’s up to parents of children to guide and teach them about what is appropriate and what is not.
Ray J should feel no shame for releasing such a provocatively titled single.
The shame lies with any parent who ignores the influence and nature of the music industry, and many celebrities that their children may be influenced by.
You can find inappropriate messages in almost every form of music out there.
For example, country music singer Carrie Underwood’s song “Before He Cheats” details the damage she caused to the truck belonging to her cheating man.
Young girls may hear this and think that it’s okay to cause property damage if they have been wronged.
It’s not Underwood’s job to teach young girls that vandalism and property damage are wrong, it’s the job of the parents of young girls.
Children looking up to celebrities as role models is not a new trend. For years children have looked up to a variety of celebrities as their role models, from sports figures to pop stars to actors and more.
With the daily lives of celebrities being flaunted all over the TV and internet, it’s easy for impressionable children to become confused about how they should behave.
It’s the influence of the parents that should be most important in the lives of their children.
Take the time to teach your kids what it means to have boundaries, the difference between right and wrong and how to be productive citizens.
Don’t leave this ever-so important job to the celebrities of today. Take control of what your children are being exposed to and teach them about what is really important.