Every parent hopes their kid will be smart, successful and above all else, happy. To help get their kids on the right track, parents encourage educational activities and wholesome influences. One of the biggest concerns has always been TV; what the kids are watching, what they’re being exposed to. So, family-friendly and positive programming has always been (and always will be) a must-have for parents. 

Sure, Sesame Street is still around, but gone are the days of PBS domination, and Nickelodeon and Disney are the new cool channels for kids. However, is ‘cool’ necessarily a good thing? The shows themselves are great and do provide good lessons for kids. The problem is, these young TV stars become heroes to America’s youth, and kids are watching whether the camera is on or off. Lately, stars of children’s shows have been exposed for some rather adult behavior.

Most recently, Jamie Spears got pregnant. Not breaking news at this point, but the impact is still being felt. At only 16, this Nickelodeon star is getting more TV exposure than she ever did from her show…and kids do see. High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens had nude pictures circulate online a few months back. Former “Even Stevens” star Shia Labeouf recently got arrested for drunkenly refusing to leave a Chicago Walgreens. Miley Cyrus is being sued for hiking up prices on ticket sales to her concerts. Lets not forget the most famous Mouseketeer of them all, Britney Spears, who has had more social faux pas than can even be remembered, but just a couple years ago she served as the top role model to tween girls.

Granted, most of these people are now adults and have lives outside of their work, but the social impact of their actions could have adverse effects from what their respective shows/music offer. When a tween sees Jamie Spears on TV, they see Zoey from Nickelodeon, regardless of whether they see her on Nickelodeon or Entertainment Tonight.

The point is, cool is a very powerful concept. To tweens there is nobody cooler than the young stars they idolize, yet the reality is that cool is not bound by the confines of Nickelodeon or Disney. For those who use cool as a tool, social responsibility is a must. Anyone can use pretty images or good looking people to push a product or idea, but the real challenge lies in maintaining the socially responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with targeting youth.

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment