Our society has people that our children and teenagers look up to, but very few should be honored with the title role model. I don't know about you but in my day the term role model was bestowed on people for doing more than dancing around a stage half naked or being so rich you can afford to get divorced and pay $100,000.00 a month in alimony to your ex.

The people that our children and teenagers are idolizing are down right scary. Role models should be people who have accomplished their goals through hard work and determination. They should be an example or moral and ethical standards that can be admired and strived for. Our role models used to be heroes. People who did exceptional things with their lives. Where did those role models go?

Instead our children think sports stars, musings and actors are whom they need to imitate and admire. Please don't get me wrong there are some professional athletes who take their role in society very seriously. They have used their fame to help charities and to encourage their young fans to do their best. These athletes are deserving of the title role model. Mostly because they are using the gifts they were given to not only benefit themselves, but others.

On the other hand you have professional and college athletes being arrested for gambling, soliciting prostitution and domestic violence. What happens to these role models when they go to court? A slap on the wrist. A fine that isn't even as much as they make in a week. What message is that sending the young people of our nation? That they want to be just like their favorite football player so they can break the law and get away with it. What kind of moral standard are we allowing to be set for our children?

Then you have actors and singers who get married at least once a year. People who are so morally deficient that they can't even make a movie with another star of the opposite sex with out having an affair. They have children by people they have never been married to and have no intention of marrying. Is it any wonder that our teenagers and young adults have a really warped sense of what commitment is all about?

I think parents really need to step it up and talk to our children about who they admire and why. Give them standards and guidelines for picking some one to look up to. Find out why they think a particular singer or athlete is worth having as a role model. You could see someone who just sings really loud. Your teenage may know more about them and admire them because of an obstacle they had to over come to a musician.

Being a good role model ourselves, weather our children consider us one or not, is the best way to show them what kind of person they may want to be. Being involved in our teenagers everyday life is a great way to make sure they don't take the idol worship too far or that they aren't romanticizing the life of a celebrity whose only accomplishment is that they make lots of movies with their clothes off.

It really isn't any wonder that the standard for a role model has been lowered to what it is in today. After all we, as a society, have lowered our moral standards for pretty much everything. Why would role models be any different?

Learn more about this author, Kendall Smith.
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