Recently, I was asked by Michael Reel, founder of Reel Urban News to do a series of community blogs, focusing on issues that are impacting our American community. I preference our “American” community because typically when African Americans state “our community” the assumption is that we talking about something specific to African Americans. This is a misnomer because what affects one community affects every community.
The first topic chosen is “Celebritism”. Celebritism as defined, by thestudentroom.co.uk, a website that discusses issues surrounding youth, as a social disorder wherein a person wants to achieve celebrity at all cost. Symptoms present themselves in: the desire become famous, entitlement issues, excessive use of social media with no particular purpose other than the need for attention, creating immature videos that are violent or sexual in nature, and an inability to maintain genuine relationships.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of celebritism is that it fuels attention seeking individuals with the mentality that any person can achieve wealth and status by impressionism. The most damaging aspect of always having to make an impression, at all cost, is the fact that this attitude leads to a lifetime of debt.
So why are there so many attention seekers? And why are they willing to go so far to get attention? Let’s talk about the causes: No. 1 on the list is the decade’s long increase in single parenting. According to Vincent DiCaro, Vice President of the National Fatherhood Initiative:
• In 1960, just 11 percent of American children lived in homes without fathers.
• 1 in 10 children live with both parents, and 84 percent live with only their mother.
• Fifteen million U.S. children, or 1 in 3, live without a father, and nearly 5 million live without a mother.
Number two, on the list is Divorce. According to Amy Desai, author of How Could Divorce Affect My Kids?
• Twenty-eight percent of children living with a divorced parent live in a household with an income below the poverty line.
• Teens from divorced homes are much more likely to engage in drug and alcohol use, as well as, sexual intercourse than those from intact families.
Moreover, divorce shatters this basic safety and belief concerning the parents’ abilities to care of them and to make decisions that truly consider their well-being. This leads to resentment for both the custodial and absent parent.
If marriage is supposed to be the key to overcoming poverty and the answer to society’s woes, statistically, it too, may need tweaking. In 1975, 52.6% of children had a stay-at-home parent. In 2010, even with two parent homes still representing 44.8% of all families with children, only 28.7% of these families have a stay-at-home parent. Unfortunately, even with two parent households, most children (including teens) may not be getting the attention necessary to sustain a healthy maturation or growth cycle.
Here is some good news. Most children and teens really look forward to receiving attention from their parents. They crave love, approval, and acceptance from them more than anything else including popularity. Instead of trying to assign blame for every mistake that children make, we must realize that we were once young and immature. If we took a look back over our lives, there would be incidents that would easily make us cringe. Why not talk about some of those things with our children to let them know that what they are going through, and the pressures that they currently feel are just a phase of life. We should spend the necessary quality time that it takes to create a healthy adult with our children. This does not require two parents, nor does it require lots of money. Just love and understanding.
Here are some more solutions for great parenting, from doctors, Lawrence Robinson & Jeanne Segal at, helpguide.org, which may be helpful in combating celebritism and providing sufficient attention for your child.
• Create Structure in your home.
• Reduce television time.
• Encourage exercise joining in whenever possible.
• Develop good eating habits.
• Make sure that your child gets enough sleep (that goes for teenagers too).
• Seek help in raising your child (especially for single parents).
By Walter Hines
“I blog; therefore, I am!”
Twitter Account: @bisonbiz2012
Website: www.bisonbiz.com
Email: walter@bisonbiz.com
