Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Do Children’s Television Stars have an impact on children who watch the shows?


Many kids watch their favorite television show and want to be just like the actors and actresses on the show. They want to look like them, act like them, and do the things that they do. If the actor or actress on the show does something inappropriate does that mean that it is ok for children who are watching to do the same thing as well?

Jamie Lynn Spears plays Zoey on Zoey 101. Zoey 101 is about an all boy’s boarding school that is now accepting girls. Zoey has to face challenges of being a teenage in the show. But Zoey, Jamie Lynn Spears, is actually facing some challenges in her real life. Jamie found out that she is pregnant at the age of 17. This was a big shocker to public readers and was hard to believe it was true. Does this image send out the wrong message that it is ok for children to get pregnant at the age of 17?

I know every little girl looks up to Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana is a preteen who just moved to a Malibu and now has to adapt to a new lifestyle. She also lives a secret life as a pop singer. Miley Stewart’s (Hannah Montana) huge secret is she leads a double life as a famous pop singer Hannah Montana and just Miley Stewart, a preteen going to school and enjoying life. This is a good show that shows what average teenage’s problems are such as pimples, boys, and bullies. But this show might teach children that it is ok to “lie.” Do you think it is ok for Miley Stewart (Hannah Montana) does hide her true identity of being a famous pop singer?

The Suite Life of Zach and Cody is a great show, but may it cause some controversy? Zach and Cody played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse, are 14 year olds whose lives change when their single mom gets a job as a singer at a popular hotel. Zach and Cody end up living at the Tipton Hotel since their mom works there. The boys go crazy and cause problems at the hotel. The twin’s plan pranks and get in other guest business. Since the two boys get out of control sometimes, does this mean that kids that stay at a hotel for a couple of nights can act the same way?

Any children show can bring up controversy. It could be how the actor or actress acts on stage or in person. It makes it hard for child stars to be famous because they have to watch how they act because it might affect the way another child acts. So it tends to end up are children stars being good role models or are they lacking a bit?

9 comments:

  1. I totally agree with what you’re saying Amanda. You see so many kids running around with Hannah Montana this and Hannah Montana that, it’s crazy! These young children act upon these peers they see on television. I could not imagine having my children watching Zoey 101 and then hearing the news with her becoming pregnant at just the age of 17!! That is someone who I do not agree with as being a role model and on Children’s Television. I believe that having these superstars on these television shows also affects the children’s discipline with money perhaps, seeing these young kids having everything they want can seriously affect our children in today’s society.

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  2. I am blogging about reality TV but I can relate to what you are writing about. You are saying the children are definitely affected by what they see on TV. Right down to the way these people walk, talk, and dress is imitated by millions of children all around the world. I agree 100% with you. I just blogged about teenagers and young adults doing the same thing! Adults/young teens watch reality shows and mimic the same things as young children do. It’s pretty crazy to me that the media has such a strong hold on society and can influence us so dramatically with what we see on TV.

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  3. I believe that kids do try and act like stars they watch from their favorite shows. In some cases this can be scary because kids can take it too far sometimes. Such as when actors or actresses show violence, that can get out of control with kids because they do not always understand the whole concept of what they see on television does not need to be copied. I have a niece and it scares me to wonder what shows and actresses she'll watch and want to be like.

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  4. This was a very interesting blog. You made a lot of really good points, although I've never seen any of those shows. I do think that these types of shows do have an influence on children's behavior though. I can't imagine all the young teenage girls that looked up to Jamie Lynn Spears, and now that she has gotten pregnant and had a child many of these girls may think that that is okay, or even cool.

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  5. I completly agree, I am the oldest out of 9 kids and I have three younger sisters who have Hannah Montana pajamas, bedding and about everything else they possibly could have. I can tell from watching my sisters watch the show. They almost worship the show.

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  6. I definitely think that the viewers of these shows look up to and act like the characters. I've never seen any one of these shows, but I used to watch Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, and That's So Raven, along with other shows on other networks. I found myself trying to act like the characters on the shows. I remember reenacting or playing the cast on certain shows with my friends. And I think kids these days are doing the same thing with Hannah Montana or other shows.

    The content of these shows is influential and should be taken into consideration. I cannot judge since I've never seen the shows, but I'm hoping Disney hasn't gone too out of line with their shows yet.

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  7. This was a great post Amanda, I never really thought into depth about the plot lines of the shows and what the hidden message may actually be in all of them. I have never seen the Zoey 101 show, but I will admit to watching Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. By watching them you get a good laugh out of them but I know that they are just made up and not real, a smaller child who is watching it may think that is what you are supposed to do and may not know it is just a show.

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  8. Kids do imitate what they see on TV. When I was little, my brothers would watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Karate Kid and just start fighting with couch cushions right after the movie was done, sound effects and all. There were certain movie lines that I would repeat when I was little.

    I have begun noticing that the morals on children's shows are a little iffy. I used to be fine with Hannah Montana, but then I realized that she was very self-centered, mean, and sarcastic. I have never seen her go out of her way to be nice to her brother, Jackson. She is constantly putting him down. My 8-year old cousin has repeated some of the mean things Hannah says (to me, might I add). So I'm just waiting for the Hannah craze to pass. And it will, eventually.

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  9. Ok so i'm not going to lie, even I want to be like Hannah Montana! I even ate my cereal out of a Hannah Montana bowl this evening!! If me, being a 19 year old, am affected by this T.V show I can not IMAGINE how the youth today are. I see this everyday when I coach Gymnastics to kids ages 2-13 and it is rare to see a little girl without a Hannah back pack, shoes, or t-shirts. Being that at a young age kids soak up everything they hear or see I think it is Vital that these shows show good ethics and moral standard so keep children on the right path on their life ahead.
    Great post!

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