Role Models

10/2/2021

Role Model: a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated.
As children, we looked up to others. It could have been our neighbor with a cool bike. It could have been Spiderman because he was a nerd too but he was cool. Maybe it was our teacher or religious leader. It could've been a relative. Whoever it was, they were someone that we looked up to and wanted to imitate.
Our role models now are often influencers, celebrities, and other adults in our lives. Often, we take role models from the media. With an easier access to technology, children are being introduced to these influencers at a younger and younger age and in many different ways. As a female, most role models that I find in the media are often body positive. While this is amazing and is helping lots of young females, I realize that there is a huge focus on just realizing what you look like and not who you are as a person. Intelligence, learning, and kindness are not as big of movements on the internet.
Barbie has recently created a Barbie after Sarah Gilbert, one of the scientists behind the recent Covid-19 Vaccine. Barbie has always been known as a pretty, blonde b**** who has everything. Now they are making more of an effort to give young children role models that are important to the world and have more to offer than just looks. Comment your thoughts on role models in the media. Share a role model from your childhood and a role model for you now. What makes a good role model?

P.S. Sorry for the late post! Technical Difficulties!

42 Comments

Ele

10/3/2021 01:37:32 pm

Influence has an impact. There is multiple forms of influence that impact an individual in many forms. Positive and negative. All around us everyday there are people, places, and objects that change the way we act, speak, react, and perceive ideas. At a larger aspect...the world. As shown in this text these act as role models. Not only can role models lead us to strive for positive goals, there can also be role models that output negative and risky behavior. It is up to us as people in society today to choose who they would like to relate too. It's how we connect to peers and role models that motivates us to be like them. Relating ourselves to these ideas of success can be very harmful; mentally and physically. We should each strive for personal growth that feeds from individuality. Yes we can use others to motivate us and give us ideas but that should be all, anymore than this can be hurtful. A person that is a role model to me, that makes me want to simply better myself is Emma Chamberlin. She is one of the most down-to-earth person I have listened to and watched through podcasts and social media. The knowledge she has helped me gain through listening to her podcasts have increased my knowledge of many things in todays society. She shares her trials she faces, the world faces, and also just gives updates on anything she has a feeling to speak on. Emma Chamberlin has positively impacted me.

Janessa

10/3/2021 05:34:28 pm

Rather than trying to become someone, we should try to become LIKE someone. Then, individuality is still retained, only improved.

Kendra

10/3/2021 05:56:01 pm

This is why it is important to strive to possess certain qualities of people and not necessarily strive to be like them or be them.

Janessa

10/3/2021 05:31:10 pm

If the phrase ‘role model’ is broken up and taken literally, it is a model (example) of a role (position or character) that someone wants to become. People choose their own role models based on the traits and behaviors they seek to possess. So, in mass media, people that are famous or favored are modeled after, and this is where personality cliques come from- the Vsco girls, TikTok boys, Utah girls. I think role models in media are no different than role models in real life have ever been; they’ve only been amplified. So while this might cause some generalization, it also provides effects that are easier to see. My childhood role model was Cinderella, because of her message to “have courage and be kind”. Even though it’s simple, I still try to model myself after this advice now that I’m older, and I think society would also improve if it listened to simple messages like this more often.

Kendra

10/3/2021 05:54:11 pm

I feel like sometimes people have celebrity role models because they want their lives, not because they want to become like them.

Erik

10/3/2021 06:01:26 pm

I liked how you took the phrase ‘role model’ and explained what it meant to you

Courtney Vennell

10/3/2021 06:37:39 pm

I think Cinderella's message about courage and kindness is great and is something more people should look sat and try to model that in their lives.

Jonah

10/3/2021 07:20:55 pm

What are Utah girls?

Kendra

10/3/2021 05:51:28 pm

Role models are such an interesting concept. It seems odd that everyone around you tells you to be yourself and nobody but you, but also to try to model the qualities of other people at the same time. Despite this, everybody has people they look up to. It’s hard to choose a role model strictly on social media. Qualities of people on social media are often only portrayed as positive qualities. No celebrity is going to post something bad about themselves, they would only post something good about themselves. My childhood role model was Tinkerbell. She was a powerful, adventurous fairy. These were qualities that I found myself to want. Tink was also blonde and I was blonde, so we were similar in that way.

Janessa

10/3/2021 05:59:57 pm

Because celebrities try so hard to be seen as perfect, scandals that emerge are explosive. Critics will often be harsh when “revealing” that celebrities have flaws, when this should be common knowledge because they are human.

Erik

10/3/2021 06:04:18 pm

I agree that role models in social media won’t post anything negative about themselves leading them to have a better image than they are sometimes.

Courtney Vennell

10/3/2021 06:35:44 pm

I 100% agree with what you said about celebrities not posting anything bad about themselves. I think this is super damaging to kids who look up to these people because they think they are perfect and don't make mistakes, when in reality they all make mistakes.

Dakota James

10/3/2021 06:53:19 pm

I argued a similar point. Celebrities are primarily displayed for their good qualities and rarely their flaws. To me, this is the opposite of a role model. Someone who can only feel confident for their accomplishments, is not the person I want to be. Overcoming struggles and obstacles to be someone greater is more inspiring in my opinion.

Jonah

10/3/2021 07:24:36 pm

Tinkerbell is dope

Ele

10/3/2021 07:42:46 pm

I agree, no one is perfect and no one should even be forced to perfection. Yet, as each individual has a role model, we all don't realize everything they go through because why would they want to show others their problems and mistakes. It is crazy how toxic the idea of society's standards can be.

Erik

10/3/2021 05:57:46 pm

I think that having role a role model can be a positive influence on a young person but they can also be a bad influence so it depends on who is that role model. Because of the many different views on how people should live role models also have a larger influence than they should have, because a role model is a model of how you want to live not something that causes people to try to replicate that life. One role model I had when I was younger is Stan Lee because of his great ideas and of course being a young boy I liked superheroes. A role model I now have would be Albert Einstein because of the ideas he has had along with everything he’s learned. A good role model is someone who inspires others and has shown a way to do so.

Dakota James

10/3/2021 06:49:19 pm

I like the point you made, that role models can have a negative influence if we are persuaded by them too much. This is especially relevant in society today because children have access to media at a younger age and may be influenced wrongly. I also agree that a role model is an example of how to live, not necessarily the desire to be that person.

Nathan

10/3/2021 07:38:21 pm

I think people often get negatively effected. People try to hard to become the person they claim to be their role model. They usually are jealous of them and wish their lives were different. Instead role models should want us become a better version of our selves, not a Walmart version of them.

Courtney Vennell

10/3/2021 06:33:29 pm

When I was a kid, I thought a role model was someone you really wanted to be and you wanted to have everything that they had. Upon further explanation, I realized that its not even close to what a role model really means. A role model is someone that somebody else looks up to and follows their example. I agree with a lot of other people who mentioned how it is important to stay true to yourself when having a role model because sometimes you can feel not as cool or like you have less than that person. As a kid, I looked up to people I saw on television and teachers from school because I always thought they were just super cool people. As I got older I realized what it takes to be that kind of person and how hard you have to work for what you love. As a teenager, I look up to my older sister Lydia, because she is currently pursuing nursing and it makes me so proud to see her working hard for what she loves.

Lizzie Nelson

10/3/2021 07:18:55 pm

I love how overtime your definition of a role model has changed. I think the older we get often time who we look up to may change but it is important that we know those people are good. Just because we look up to someone doesn't mean we have to be just like them which is something cool to think about.

Dakota James

10/3/2021 06:45:54 pm

It is difficult for me to have a role model from the media because no matter what appearance that person puts on, we don't know who they truly are. I think a role model should be someone who is an example of who we strive to be on a personal level. However, role models are not perfect people, in fact their mistakes can be inspiring as to how they got through them or how we can learn from their decisions. As a kid, and still, my father is my role model. I wish to be half the man he is, someday. I have heard about the ups and downs he has encountered in his life and I see where he is now, which motivates me. On top of this, my dad has always been my best friend, so he doubles as a buddy and a role model.

Lizzie Nelson

10/3/2021 07:17:06 pm

I think that it is important to remember our role models aren't perfect and that they are human too. They always seem to teach us through their mistakes and that shows how good of a person they are. It is important to have a good role model who cares for us.

Nathan

10/3/2021 07:31:10 pm

My dad is also one of my role models. He is a great example of hard work and had given me my love for the out doors

Robyn Chaffin

10/3/2021 08:19:35 pm

I definitely agree on the fact that role models are more influential and important when we know them personally and have a connection with them.

Lizzie Nelson

10/3/2021 07:15:27 pm

I think today it is extremely common for us to find a role model in the media because we see so much of them. These people seem to have the perfect life and everything seems to be working out for them but in reality, they just post what they want us to see. This makes it hard to tell if they are actually genuine or not. I'm not sure if I have a celebrity role model but I know that a role model in my life is my mom. She is absolutely amazing and I have felt this way ever since I was little. She always showed me how much she cared for me no matter what I did. She has taught me many important life lessons and she continues to teach me things that she has learned. I know that she is someone I want to be like.

Hailey

10/3/2021 08:39:07 pm

I think good role models in the media are people who show real life struggles, rather than just the highlight reels of their “perfect” lives, as you expressed.

Nathan

10/3/2021 07:28:44 pm

When I think of role models I think of respect. Respect to me is the main reason that people want to be like these figures. It is not really the actions they do that warrants praise but honor of their core beliefs and attributes. For example Martin Luther King Jr., he was not a role model because of his actions towards civil rights, but because he was driven and had a burning passion for equality. He was a role model for the kind of person he was, not just his accomplishments. Today we need to be more careful on who we choose to be our role models. Make sure they reflect who you want to become as a person not just cool stuff they have accomplished.

Robyn Chaffin

10/3/2021 08:21:56 pm

Role models should definitely have respect from many people. When people chose role models to look up too they should take into consideration what that role model may influence them to do.

Hailey

10/3/2021 08:40:59 pm

I love what you said at the end of your response. I think celebrities often get respected because of the things they have accomplished, when in reality, trophies in a certain competition mean little in comparison to the person’s actual character.

Jonah

10/3/2021 07:29:20 pm

Through all of the many social media platforms today, there are many different role models. whether good or bad. I feel like everybody has those people that they look up to, especially at a younger age, when you think they are just perfect. As you get older, you recognize their imperfections, but this might allow you to like them even more. When I was little, I looked up to many of the older students in our school and sports. Now, as I am one of those Seniors, I know there are little kids who look up to me. I am scared by that thought because I doubt that I am half the example to them that the previous students were to me.

Ele

10/3/2021 07:34:21 pm

I like how you related to us being the role models and I shows that we are being looked upon by many people. We need to be a positive influence.

Boaz Oswald

10/3/2021 10:54:41 pm

It is interesting how much of how people view us is influenced by our station. We don't see ourselves as anything special but purely because of our age, we are seen with more respect

Carson Mildon

10/4/2021 08:16:31 am

I love this example a lot because I have often thought about it. I always thought seniors were so cool, and big, and smart, until I became one.

Micah Tolman

10/7/2021 06:40:14 am

It is interesting how our ignorance can be a blessing, because it prevents us from rebelling against people when we are unaware of their weaknesses. Without role models, would anyone grow and develop?

Robyn Chaffin

10/3/2021 08:17:34 pm

Role models are a huge influence to how people live their lives. Nowadays, I think that influencers from the media may not always be the best people to look up to. Famous people always have two sides. One may think that because a celebrity donates to many necessary causes that they are a really good person, when behind the cameras they are abusing, or sexually assaulting children. I think it is actually harder to have a role model in this generation than when it was before.

Boaz Oswald

10/3/2021 10:50:56 pm

I think that role models aren't necessarily individuals, more I think they are what they are seen as. So a person can be seen as a role model just fine for doing something even though they are may not be a very good person. It is the same idea of everything being a sign I think. If you find meaning in someone then who can say that that meaning is wrong?

Micah Tolman

10/7/2021 06:38:22 am

That is a very good observation, Robyn. Who is a role mode for you?

Hailey

10/3/2021 08:37:40 pm

Role models in the media are crucial for younger generations because technology is what most greatly influences people of that age. Their ideas may not be original or entirely their own, however, they are capable of using their platforms to promote ideas that they find significant. When I was young, I viewed Disney Princesses as role models. I thought they embodied what a beautiful, important woman should be. However, they are far from role models to me now. I now view body positive influencers like Sienna Gomez and Ashley Graham as role models. They promote the idea that a woman’s worth comes from who she is, not how she appears. They allow people a safe space to be themselves, rather than encouraging them to change themselves for the satisfaction of others. And that, in my opinion, is what makes a good role model.

Carson Mildon

10/4/2021 08:15:15 am

Disney characters tend to be very common role models for children. I love that you now have different role models that are very positive to you.

Boaz Oswald

10/3/2021 10:46:43 pm

Role models are an inevitable part of the human experience. We are constantly looking at the people around us and deciding what we like about them and what we don't. With any circumstance where people are able to see and learn about someone else, there will be role models and people that we despise. Because of this, history becomes a sort of media and history is where I find my biggest role model: Richard Feynman. I could go off about this guy but basically he was the greatest explainer of math and physics. He worked mostly in particle and quantum physics but did so much in bringing the concepts of physical law to an audience that did not have the usual mathematical knowledge. He was also taught great life lessons.

Carson Mildon

10/4/2021 08:13:50 am

I believe that a lot of people overuse the term "role model". Many people call someone that they simply like a role model. However, to me a role model is someone very different, it is a person I actually share my life and actions around. With this being said, I would say my parents are my role models in life.

Micah Tolman

10/6/2021 10:01:54 pm

Role models in the media can have either good or bad impacts. One example is Kolin Kaepernick who kneeled for the anthem and then led to a bunch of others doing it too. Another example is the character, Jesus, in the new TV series, The Chosen. Role models influence the way we live. A good role model when I was younger was McClay Sommers. Nowadays, it is my church leaders. Role models are effective because they are bold. A strong role model makes a difference in the lives of other people, for the better.

Role Models

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