Celebrity obsession harming children: Study

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Posted online: Friday , March 14, 2008 at 11:52:27
Updated: Friday , March 14, 2008 at 12:14:01

London, March 14: Celluloid heroes like Abhiskek Bachchan or cricketers MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are often idolised by kids. But, a new study has claimed that obsession with celebrities is actually harming the children.

Researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that the cult of celebrity is producing a generation that believes education and hard work are not at all important in achieving success.

According to the study by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the United Kingdom, these children would grow up to feel a sense of failure, alienation and low self-esteem when celebrity status is not achieved.

"Celebrities can have a positive effect on pupils. They can raise pupils' aspirations. But we are concerned that many pupils believe celebrity status is available to everyone.

"They do not understand the hard work it takes to achieve such status and do not think it is important to be actively engaged in school work as education is not needed for a celebrity status," the association's General Secretary Mary Bousted was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying.

The researchers came to the conclusion after they conducted a survey in which 70 per cent of teachers in primary and secondary schools said that the cult of celebrity was perverting children's aspirations and expectations.

About 37 per cent of the teachers interviewed believe their pupils want to be famous for being famous. They fear that many youngsters do not realise how hard their idols have worked to earn their fame.

According to 53 per cent of the teachers surveyed, David and Victoria Beckham are the celebrities most British students model themselves on.

Overall, sports stars are the most popular type of celebrity with pop singers, such as the Sugababes and Leona Lewis, ranking a close second, 60 per cent of teachers said in the survey.

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Inculcate Great Personalities by Abhinav on 14 Mar 2008

Inculcate Great Personalities like Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Bose, Sardar Patel, great scientists, and not fake heores of silver screen. It is parents fault, and our systems fault. Our education system is too poor to be moulded with good values, ethics, honesty, punctuality. Rather, cheating, aggrressiveness, violence has bocome daily practice. India's future lies with our age-old culture and heritage. Any deviation from this will lead to diasters.

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