One of the most remarkable ways the internet has changed our society is through it's ability to instantly rocket people from obscurity to international fame. This has captured the imagination of millions around the world as they see people like Justin Bieber upload a few Youtube videos and end up one of the biggest stars in the world. This ability to instantly achieve fame instantly is fascinating, but are there negative side effects we aren't consider? For example, children and teens are observing the effects of this instant fame and increasingly trying to achieve it themselves.
Should Teens Be Striving For Internet Fame?
It's easy for teens to look up to those who get famous on the internet and want to be like them. It is at this point parents should step in and make it clear that fame isn't all it appears to be. Furthermore, it is important to help teens understand that it is important to work for the things you want. For everybody who becomes successful overnight through the internet, there are thousands who achieve their goals with persistence and hard work. It is these individuals that teens should seek to emulate. You don't want your teen to become a person who doesn't understand the virtues of hard work and expects everything they want to just happen.
Balancing The Benefits And Detriments Of Our Internet Culture
The way the internet is encouraging children and teens to strive for fame is just one of many different ways it has impacted our culture and society over the past two decades. You can see these changes in how we shop, how we communicate, the ways we get information, and nearly every other aspect of our lives. Because the internet is so ubiquitous, as we move forward and connectivity becomes an even bigger part of our lives we must carefully consider how we balance the benefits of this technology with the clear downsides. I believe that it's clear that keeping teens from blindly striving for fame through the internet should be one of the first choices we make about how the internet will influence our culture.