I had a wonderful book reading session online with a School in Hampshire recently. One of the questions I was asked during this session was ‘are you famous?’ Fame, above all else seemed to be the pinnacle of many of these young children’s aspirations. I told them that they should focus on trying to find a career and occupation that they really love. How is it that as a nation we are breeding a generation of children who aspire to be famous.
Perhaps it is because, on the face of it, fame is what as a society we project – through our shows like Love Island and glossy magazines like Hello. We paint ‘fame’ as the perfect life where everything is rosy and nothing goes wrong…
This got me thinking what actually is fame? Is it being recognised by members of the public? Is it being respected for what you can offer? Is it reaching the pinnacle of your profession?
Children are like sponges- they absorb everything around them, far more than we realise, and use this as the basis to shape their opinions and views of the world around them. We should, therefore, think very carefully about what sort of world and society we want to project. Sure, aspirations for fame should not be discouraged but I think that what fame stands for should be modified. To a degree COVID has started us down this route- the unsung heroes of the NHS have become ‘famous’ overnight, those who ran village shops and supermarkets were heroes while the rest of us were forced to stay at home. When things open up these heroes should remain in the limelight. They are the ones we should celebrate and encourage the next generation to emulate.. not those who file for the largest divorce or court suit but people who actually do things with their lives and leave the world a better place for having been in it.
If children can be inspired to achieve and give from a young age then they remain focussed throughout their lives and, as a result, grow up to be decent, giving members of society. We are responsible for shaping the people of tomorrow.
