The seeming boom in role models in today's society is a by-product of the huge global technological age in which we now live. The age of the celebrity is truly here. Role models today come in various forms: pop stars, actors, sports personalities, but the one thing they seem to have in common is that they are all rich and famous. A role model can't simply be a "normal person" anymore.

Ask many young people today what they want to be when they are older and they will say more often than not, that they want to be famous. They want to be a celebrity, or that awful phrase, a celeb. How many of them simply say that they only want to be happy? How many now look-up to their parents and grandparents and want to emulate them?

Advertisers are quick to latch on to the idea of the celebrity and they are quickly recruited in order to sell products. Pop stars are seen wearing an expensive make of jeans or drinking a particular drink and the company makes millions. The celebrity as well as gaining the extra attention in which they thrive upon, gets a cut of the spoils for themselves. It is manipulation of our children for the sole purpose of money. It is just pure greed.

Not that a role model has to have any talent anymore. Thanks to the invention of reality TV, which simply taps in to the celebrity desires of our children, a person can become famous for simply existing. Repulsive characters with very little positive attributes are becoming the role models of today. Much of this is a form of natural rebellion that the younger generations have always had for the older generations, and will have to the end of time, but some of these role models represent a rejection of moral principles on a grand scale.

It is natural thing to recognise traits in others in which you would desire for yourself. Trying to discover who we are is one of life's mysteries. All of us act differently around different people, with the various facets of our characters exposed in the interaction with others. The people we enjoy being around the most are the people who bring out the best in us after all, but the negativity in which some of today's role models exhibit at times is truly scary.

I believe in the freedom of the individual and don't criticise others for the choices in which they want to make. But I think the real shame here is the forgotten everyday hero. The everyday individual, who fought, worked and slaved for the good of others. Where are many of our war veterans today? Many of them lay forgotten in homes, or live alone with little contact from others. They live a semi-neglected existence while everyone shouts and screams for the reality show contestant.

What about the greats of the past? Our past great writers and thinkers, our historical giants, many of them are becoming completely over-shadowed by the "celeb". Talk about some of the great poets and artists of the past and our youth will stare back at you with blank faces. The greats are in danger of becoming consigned to the dusty history books, in which few bother to read.

Maybe the celebrity is just a passing trend? Maybe people will turn again to the greats of the past or the living everyday hero for true inspiration? Maybe the tinsel of the "reality star" will become exposed to the true "unreality" in which they are made famous? The real heroes are the ones all around us, it is just a case of people opening their eyes and seeing past the media manipulation. It is just a case of seeing those of real value.

Learn more about this author, John Neely.
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