Celebrities Doing Some Good

Lately I feel as if the majority of celebrity news focuses on all the negative parts of their lives. So for this I would like to shed a little light on some of the good that celebrities do. Yea, they might mess up and cheat on their spouse (which I am not condoning in the least bit) but they also do some good too. Celebrities make A LOT of money, most more than they know what to do with. So I want to say that I appreciate the fact that celebrities give back to the less fortunate. Whether it be donating money to try and cure cancer or being a part of the "Make A Wish Foundation" or helping at Katrina, celebrities do more than just party and mess up. Angelina Jolie, an extreme case but still valid, has adopted children and given them a better life. Lil Wayne has gone back to his home of Louisiana and helped the hurricane Katrina victims. Countless celebrities donate time and money to charities around the world. And I just wanted to take this time to recognize the good in the world. For once, let us not all focus on the bad.

The Previous Generation

The generation before us grew up quite differently then we have.  The major difference between the two generations is the technology.  I am constantly listening to my mother complain about how I am too addicted to my phone and all the other technologies. Granted, she has an argument; I have my blackberry next to me at all times. But here is the kicker...she has recently upgraded from a flip phone to a droid, which is a smart phone as well. Along with this she has her iTouch, with the two she has become just as addicted as me.  I am sick of hearing older people complain about how us younger people are always on out phones. Hi, Hello, have you ever though of how convenient this devices are?! With the technology that we have today are so useful. Yes, they have their down sides, but so does everything in life. The main complaint that I hear is using phones while driving. My mom tells me not to talk on the phone while driving, then she calls me form her car!! Umm, okay? I see just as many adults talking on their phone as teenagers. So for once I would love to have my mom admit that she loves her phone and would be lost without it.

Teen Mothers on T.V

Whether it is "reality" television or sitcoms, teen mothers are all over television; the most popular shows of this topic are "Secret Life of an American Teenager", "16 and Pregnant", and "Teen Mom". The latter two shows are reality TV, which follow teenage girls who are pregnant and then follow up on their lives post-birth. The "Secret Life" is along the same lines but it is a scripted show and involves many woes that teenage parents must face. The argument that surrounds these types of shows is whether or not the shows send a good message or bad message to the people watching them.  Throughout each episode of these shows messages are sent to the audience through the characters. The shows provide websites and telephone numbers that can be used for additional information about teen pregnancies and how to avoid them. I, personally, watch these shows because I am a TV junkie, not because I need to learn about teenage pregnancies. I went to high school just as everyone else and sat in a classroom for years and listened to teachers preach about the consequences of having unprotected sex. I do not need a television show to tell me what the consequences are or how to avoid them. I think that the reason for these shows is to make money and not to inform young girls. I learn nothing new from watching shows like these; the message is Don't have unprotected sex...Cool, I've known that since I started health class in 8th grade.  In my opinion the shows on MTV about the teen moms is doing nothing but providing fame for the girls involved.  Everyone makes mistakes and teenage pregnancies happen, but the lives of these girls are turned upside down and exploited just for entertainment purposes. It is pathetic that we have nothing better to do but watch the miserable lives of teenage parents that are just trying to get by.

The Loss of Innocence

In today's society it amazes me the amount of information that is out there for children to know.  It seems to me that children have gone from being innocent 5 year olds playing with toys to 7 year old "teenagers" with cell phones and ipods.  I understand that society is evolving and we must evolve with it but shouldn't a line be drawn? It is not only the electronics that children are getting a grasp of but the things that the media puts out there too know is insane. For example, the songs that are on the radio these days are no longer children-friendly. These children not only know the words of these songs but they unfortunately know the meaning to the words as well.  The song by Brittney Spears "If You Seek Amy" is a good example of a song that has an underlying meaning. I think that the society in some ways is corrupting children and taking away their innocence.  Whatever happened to children playing kickball til sundown and complaining when they have to come in for dinner. Now children are obsessed with T.V. and video games and get upset when their parents make them go outside to play. I understand that parents play a major role in how their children are raised and what they are exposed to, but now-a-days there is only so much a parent can shelter their children. With the exception of home-schooling your child and with-holding a social life from them, there is no way for a parent to completely control what their children are exposed to.  I think that the media has to take the majority of responsibility of the fact that children are no longer children; they are teenagers in a little snack-sized person...