Child celebrities grow up too fast
Ethan Walker
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Opinion
Listening to the radio in my car the other day got me thinking: How can people like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus have all these hits and become so famous? They are only 15 and 17 years old, so shouldn't they still be in high school or learning how to drive, so that maybe they can take that one less lonely girl out on a date? I know these two are not the first teen or child celebrities; both Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were on the Mickey Mouse club before they learned the definition of a verb. Drew Barrymore was a cute toddler in E.T., and as children we all enjoyed the Parent Trap starring the young freckle-faced Lindsay Lohan.
All of these past teen celebs have a similar trait: they all have had major problems in their lives. Justin Timberlake has maintained a fairly clean image, only "accidently" ripping off Janet Jackson's wardrobe at a Super Bowl. As for Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan, they have enjoyed their extended stays at the world's most renowned rehabilitation spas for various reasons.
I could go on about child celebs that grew up a little screwy, such as Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, but I don't have the time. I've noticed that it is a dangerous combination to mix adolescents with money and fame. Let us all think back to a time where we may have won a hundred bucks at the casino, or received a few nice birthday checks. We felt on top of the world, like we were rich. Now multiply that by a few hundred thousand and see what you find. Children and parents are drawn to Hollywood because of the money; to have bills paid off, to have a nice house, and maybe get an early retirement. Parents do put pressure on their children to get that new single out, but they forget about the cost their child pays for the hours and hours spent in the studio.
Now I do realize that we live in America, the land of the free. We can pursue any job we want at any moment. But at the same time, can children handle the tremendous stress and pressure that Hollywood and the music business puts on them? I believe the answer is no. The biggest concern children and young teens should have is learning how to drive, how to play baseball and how to get mom to take us to the mall. They shouldn't have to worry about a thousand screaming fans trying to get something to remember them by or staying up until four in the morning at an after-party for the new movie release.
Kids need to be kids. They need to enjoy the sweetness of childhood before it is gone. We need to look at the common thread between all the problems with these teen celebs and decide that maybe the problem isn't the kids; it is the environment in which they grew up. Kids hardly know anything about life, although they may beg to differ with parents. They are simply trying to figure out who they are and it is difficult enough without flash bulbs glaring in their eyes.
To grow up in the spotlight is to grow up overnight. One day you're sweet Hannah Montana, the next you're partying in the USA while the Jay-Z song is on. It is high time these celebrities' parents realize what they may be putting their children through and think twice before signing that record deal.
All of these past teen celebs have a similar trait: they all have had major problems in their lives. Justin Timberlake has maintained a fairly clean image, only "accidently" ripping off Janet Jackson's wardrobe at a Super Bowl. As for Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan, they have enjoyed their extended stays at the world's most renowned rehabilitation spas for various reasons.
I could go on about child celebs that grew up a little screwy, such as Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, but I don't have the time. I've noticed that it is a dangerous combination to mix adolescents with money and fame. Let us all think back to a time where we may have won a hundred bucks at the casino, or received a few nice birthday checks. We felt on top of the world, like we were rich. Now multiply that by a few hundred thousand and see what you find. Children and parents are drawn to Hollywood because of the money; to have bills paid off, to have a nice house, and maybe get an early retirement. Parents do put pressure on their children to get that new single out, but they forget about the cost their child pays for the hours and hours spent in the studio.
Now I do realize that we live in America, the land of the free. We can pursue any job we want at any moment. But at the same time, can children handle the tremendous stress and pressure that Hollywood and the music business puts on them? I believe the answer is no. The biggest concern children and young teens should have is learning how to drive, how to play baseball and how to get mom to take us to the mall. They shouldn't have to worry about a thousand screaming fans trying to get something to remember them by or staying up until four in the morning at an after-party for the new movie release.
Kids need to be kids. They need to enjoy the sweetness of childhood before it is gone. We need to look at the common thread between all the problems with these teen celebs and decide that maybe the problem isn't the kids; it is the environment in which they grew up. Kids hardly know anything about life, although they may beg to differ with parents. They are simply trying to figure out who they are and it is difficult enough without flash bulbs glaring in their eyes.
To grow up in the spotlight is to grow up overnight. One day you're sweet Hannah Montana, the next you're partying in the USA while the Jay-Z song is on. It is high time these celebrities' parents realize what they may be putting their children through and think twice before signing that record deal.
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Jane
posted 5/03/10 @ 10:14 AM CST
Thank you so much. It helped me a lot with my english homework !!
xoxo
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