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Children's ideals: The role of real-life versus media figures

1990; Wiley; Volume: 42; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00049539008260102

1742-9536

Julie M. Duck,

Child Development and Digital Technology

Results from a recent survey of children's ideals are contrasted with results from a pre-television study (Campbell, 1962). In 1956, 55–75% of children aged 12 and 15 years idealised people known personally (parents, parent surrogates, and young adults) while glamorous adults and media stars were relatively unimportant as ideals. In December 1988, 313 children from grades 5 to 9 were interviewed about the person they'd most like to be like. The majority of ideals (50–75%) were media figures of various types as opposed to people known personally to the child. Sporting heroes, pop stars, actors, and TV characters were most important for boys. Girls made comparatively more mention of friends, parents, and other relatives as ideals, but film stars, TV characters, and models were the most often cited ideals for secondary girls, and pop stars for primary girls. Responses to a question on the person children would least like to be like did not reveal the same predominance of media figures. Instead 50–66% of negative ideals were people known personally to the child (classmates, family members, and friends). The impression is that media figures have "taken over" as the prime source of ideal models for a majority of children and that, in comparison, real-life acquaintances are viewed less positively. Age and sex differences in children's choice of ideals, as well as differences due to self-esteem, popularity, and quality of family relations are noted.