Week 8: Gender and Adolescence

Week 8 focused on the topic of "Gender and Adolescence." This week differed slightly from last week because we were concerned with children aged approximately 12-18 rather than toddlers.

This week's readings, presentations, and class discussions were interesting because they dealt with issues that concerned children who were old enough to comprehend gender and sexuality regardless of their young age and immaturity.

The first group presentation asked the class what qualities made a good role model. The following responses were given: responsible, confident, brave, has good morals, motivated, etc. On the slideshow, there were pictures of Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and Lindsay Lohan. As a class, we were asked to determine which celebrities were considered good role models for adolescences. This was a difficult task for me because celebrities get a lot of exposure and strong criticism in the media and it's a challenge to determine what celebrities are good role models to adolescents and young adults. This is because of the age gap amongst individuals that look up to celebrities and people that are famous. In addition, the five celebrities that were used as examples during class all vary in ages and come from different backgrounds such as television stars, actresses, small town singers, etc.

 

The class generated some controversial discussion in the sense that many individuals are torn between what celebrities make a good role model for teens. This is because many celebrities make good impressions at first but either have a few bad moments that the paparazzi blow out of proportion, or they let their fame get the better of them and unfortunately fall from the top all the way to the bottom. I think it's important for parental figures to remain a strong influence in their son and daughter's life in order to help differentiate the good celebrities from the bad. With that being said, I think it's acceptable for a teenager to admire a celebrity for their voice, fashion, acting skills, etc. without wanting to emulate that celebrity. To explain further, I definitely want adolescents to have someone they can look up to, without wanting to drink underage, try drugs, or be sexually active to match the behaviour of their role model.

Another interesting conversation that occurred during class was the discussion of Miley Cyrus and Hilary Duff. Both celebrities started as child actors that were extremely well known, well liked, and extremely admired by adolescent girls. The difference between these two actresses is significant. On the one hand, Hilary Duff aged very well and did not have a lot of negative exposure in the media. This fact makes her appear as a great role model for both adolescents, teens, and adults.

In contrast, Miley Cyrus is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Many people are aware of her recent media exposure including her twerking act with Robin Thicke. This is one of the reasons why individuals feel she is no longer a good role model for young girls.

In my personal opinion, I think Miley Cyrus is going through the same phase many other celebrities have in the past. I assume the reason for the criticism towards Miley is due to her age. She is only twenty but wants to be viewed as an adult and no longer a child actor. This is understandable but it's difficult to accept because of the fact many adolescents are still viewing her as an appropriate role model. Despite her racy lyrics and provocative clothing, I think at times Miley can still be somewhat of a good role model to those individuals who know she is a celebrity and only acts a certain way to gain attention from the media.