The Truth About Role Models
What Makes A Good Role Model?
Role Models: Aren’t just “celebrities,” role models don’t have to be famous at all. In fact, a person who strives to do what’s best while fighting for what’s right and to be a better person is what can be considered a healthy role model. A role model does not need to be on TV to be considered worthy of seeking guidance. Rather, anyone can be a role model including: musicians, artists, politicians, sports figures, family members, teachers/mentors, coaches, anyone with the desire-can demonstrate positive traits and qualities for adolescents to look up to.
Positive Role Models:
A Positive Role Model: strives to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Loves to learn and through educating themselves their admirers gain insight on how to make good-decisions.
Positive role models display “good behavior” which treating each other with kindness, dignity, and respect.Role models are influential individuals with the desire to help their admirers establish which decisions, values, and ways of life their followers will incorporate in their lives as their own.
Positive role models display “good behavior” which treating each other with kindness, dignity, and respect.Role models are influential individuals with the desire to help their admirers establish which decisions, values, and ways of life their followers will incorporate in their lives as their own.
Role Models You Can Learn From:
Disney TV star, Demi Lovato became victim to media influences at the young age of five when she began acting on the children’s TV show Barney and Friends. At the age 8 people began bullying her and telling her it was because she was “fat”. Gomez states that this is when her 10- year battle with healthy eating began, ultimately developing anorexia and bulimia. At the age of eleven, Demi began cutting herself as she felt she couldn’t meet up to the unrealistic expectations of media. Demi fought with her eating disorder throughout her career on the Disney sitcoms Sonny with a Chance and Camp Rock, it wasn’t until her album reached #1 on the billboard top 200 she went on tour with the Jonas Brothers and realized she had a problem. Since then, she received professional help through nearly three months at a rehabilitation clinic and has become inspired. Demi Lovato states that "It was the time in the tabloids when very, very skinny girls were on the cover of every magazine, and that's what I was looking up to," "That's what I had to idolize. I don't want that for young girls."
Who Are Role Models I Can Admire?
Raven Symone, Disney Star of Thats So Raven, has consistently represented herself in the media as she is, proud of what she was given, naturally, and unafraid to voice it. She is a healthy role model in Television for young girls to aspire to be.
Emma Watson, known for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter film series is an English Actress and Model who has spent her career focusing on her education, recently studying at Brown University, she continues to learn despite her success as an actress.
Kate Winslet Speaks Up:
When Kate Winslet shot a cover for Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine, they photo-shopped her despite her strong advisement otherwise. She stated “The retouching is excessive. I do not look like that and more importantly I don’t desire to look like that”.
Who Are Unhealthy Role Models?
Lindsay Lohan-
Americas sweet heart of child actresses, today she still battles outside influences on her sense of self.
Americas sweet heart of child actresses, today she still battles outside influences on her sense of self.
Jersey Shore-
Promotes unrealistic body ideals and objectifies women. These children admire them and model their bad behavior.
Promotes unrealistic body ideals and objectifies women. These children admire them and model their bad behavior.
Glee's Lea Michele-
Strong female character yet exposes her provocative side in Maxim with overly sexualized images.
Strong female character yet exposes her provocative side in Maxim with overly sexualized images.