Introduction
In the schools, the most popular students are
probably, the biggest bully, the rich spoilt brat, the ones who break school
rules, etc. On the other hand is the media which glorifies this group of
people, especially in films, sports, music, etc and focuses on the negative
aspects of their lives. Remember, children, including teenagers are daily influenced
by programmes on television and the internet and are imbibing the values of the
heroes they see portrayed in the media.
The question then is, “Are these the kind of heroes
we want our teenagers to emulate”?
The
people that teenagers look up to as their role models matter a lot. They help
to determine the shape and substance of the next generation, whether they be
churchgoers, consumers and citizens. Christian
teenagers therefore, need to know right and wrong, to make wise decisions and to
enjoy good relationships. They should also have the opportunity to follow good
role models who manifest our ultimate role model — the Lord Jesus Christ.
In a
study conducted by Barna Group* among a national sample of teenagers in the
United States of America, the results gave new insight into whom teenagers
select as their role models and why those individuals capture their attention.
Excerpts from the study have been reproduced below;
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37% of the teen respondents named a relation
other than their parent as the person they admire most - a grandparent, but
also includes sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
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11% mentioned teachers and coaches
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9% mentioned friends and
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6% mentioned pastors or other religious leaders
they know personally
Notice
that a majority of teenagers indicated that the people they most admire and
imitate are those with whom they maintain a personal connection, friendship, or
interaction.
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6% mentioned entertainers (including musicians
and actors)
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5% of the teenagers mentioned sports heroes
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4% mentioned political leaders
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4% mentioned faith leaders
-
1% mentioned business leaders
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1% mentioned authors
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1% mentioned science and medical professionals
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1% mentioned other artists and
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1% mentioned members of the military
The high-profile leaders most
commonly named were former US President Barak Obama (3%) and Jesus Christ (3%).
The teenagers described a wide
range of reasons why they named a particular role model.
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26% said it was the
personality traits of that person (e.g., caring about others, being loving and
polite, being courageous, and being fun were some of the characteristics mentioned
most often)
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22% were looking to find
someone to emulate or to “follow in the footsteps” of their chosen role model.
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11% mentioned encouragement as
another reason for their selections which included those who said the
individual “helps me be a better person,” is someone who is “always there for
me,” and is the person who is “most interested in my future.”
-
13% admired the role model who
accomplished his or her goals
-
9% chose those who overcame
adversity
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7% chose the personality who
works hard
-
7% admired the personality for
being intelligent
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6% leaned towards those who perform
humanitarian effort and activism
-
6% admired people with strong
faith
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5% admired people with great
talent and
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1% chose those who exude
self-confidence
Although not listed often,
some 3% of the teens identified wealth, 1% self-sufficiency, and 1% fame as the
reasons for preferring a specific leader or role model.
The study pointed out that
relatives were most often esteemed because of goals accomplished, personality
traits, and overcoming adversity, while friends were most highly regarded
because of the encouragement and support they provide the teen.
Faith leaders received
recognition because of their strong spiritual convictions, their moral
lifestyles, and because the teen hopes to pattern their lives like these
leaders.
Coaches and teachers also made
the grade because teens hope to follow their lifestyles and because of the
encouragement coaches and educators dole out.
Not
surprisingly, entertainers and sports figures are recognized most often for
their talent. However, the profiles of the two types of celebrities diverge
from there. Entertainers earned teens’ attention not only with their
humanitarian efforts but also with fashion and money. In contrast, sports stars
scored points with teens based on their accomplishments as well as their ability
to overcome adversity.
The most common reasons teens admired former US
President Barak Obama were his hard work and self-confidence. Jesus connects
with teens because of his concern for others and being an example to follow.
David
Kinnaman, the president of the Barna Group, offered four insights about the
current mindset of teenagers based on the findings:
1.
For better and worse, teens are emulating the people they know best. More
than two out of three teens identify people they know personally as their
primary role model. Many parents and youth workers fret about the role models
of the next generation. Yet, one reason to remain hopeful about the development
of young people is their reliance upon the people they know best: friends,
relatives, teachers, pastors, and coaches. At the same time, that reality
underscores the insistence of many parents that they influence the people with
whom their child associates, in order to be sure that their children are
surrounded by people modeling positive values and life choices.
2. Teenagers’ role models
reveal that teens want to get ahead, accomplish goals, overcome obstacles… and
be encouraged along the way. For all the talk about the social consciousness of the
next generation, their role models are rarely selected because of a person’s
service or sacrifice for others. Young people choose their role models because
those people are achievers and because they help teenagers feel better about
themselves. None of these aspirations is necessarily misguided, but the focus
tends to be based on tasks and self, rather than on God and others.
3. Spirituality is only of
modest concern to the aspirations of most teens. Teens rarely identified spiritual mentors. Moreover, few
teens consider issues of faith, religion or morality when deciding whom they
will try to emulate. Even among young Christians, their role models are
virtually no different than other teenagers. (The only exception is an expected
outcome: those teens actively involved in a church are slightly more likely to
identify a spiritual or faith leader as one of their models.) While other Barna
research shows that teens are active spiritually, that behavior generally does
not influence the “who” and the “why” of teens’ role models.
4. Outside of their personal
relationships, teen role models reflect a broadening mindset. The next generation selects its heroes from a wide
spectrum of both people discovered through both the global stage and
micro-niches. The menu of celebrities crosses multiple sectors, ranging from
skateboarders and MTV hosts to international graphic novel artists, scholars,
social innovators and historic leaders; from teen idols to celebrities who came
of age in the 1960s. The eclectic nature of the role models they embrace is not
new but the diversity of pools from which they choose those models is atypical.
Their choices are substantially affected by media imagery and exposure.
Conclusion
The purpose of ensuring good role models for
teenagers is to ensure that they mature into thoughtful and principled adults.
Positive Christian role models will also help teenagers to develop strong
character during their teen years.
*Barna Group (which includes its research division,
the Barna Research Group) located in Ventura, California, is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts
primary research, produces media resources pertaining to spiritual development,
and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and
Christian ministries.
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