Misguided: Celebrity follies have their effect on nation’s future

If you are like most people, the name Britney Spears only matters if you have a teenage daughter at home.

Without that connection, the antics of the pop princess shouldn’t matter a lick. So, her recent bizarre behavior might have escaped your notice — especially since it seems now that there are more important issues to consider.

But that might be where we are making our mistake.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of young girls who count Britney as their idol — someone to whom they look for inspiration on everything from music to decision-making. They want to be like her. That is why you choose someone as your idol. The pop star sells out concerts all over the world — and if you look closely — you will see the audiences are composed of young girls.

So why waste editorial space on Britney? The answer is simple. She just might be where some of those young people who are this nation’s future are getting some of their values.

Now, a good quality family life can do a lot to counteract Britney news 24-7, but then again, today’s busy parents cannot always keep track of every minute of every exposure that their children get. And then there is the influence of peers.

So watching Britney might seem like just another bit of celebrity gossip, but, instead, it is a chance for us to speak to our daughters about excess, responsibility and how to choose someone who really is someone to be admired to look up to.

Who knows, it might be the most important lesson we teach.

Published in Editorials on February 22, 2007 11:11 AM