Reality Stars & Mirror effects

I have talked about this before. Most youth reality shows (count the musical ones out) in India center around an exhibition of foul mouthed crass behaviour. I guess these shows have their huge following in India.

That's such a pity.

More so in the context of what Dr. Drew Pinsky states in his latest book, The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America. The book deals with narcissistic levels of American celebrities and the impact it has on impressionable teenagers.

Note Christian Toto; 'Today’s narcissistic celebrities shove their neuroses in our faces. Take Amy Winehouse, the troubled torch singer who inspired a slew of drug-related headlines. Her song “Rehab” was a narcissist’s cry of defiance, according to the book, and a troubling one when teens started singing along without realizing what her statement truly implied.'

Celebrities are part of what's known as reference groups, that have the power to influence behaviour. Today's reality show participants too I believe have taken on overnight celebrity mantles. That they exhibit behaviour that's downright pathetic wouldn't matter to the 'young uns' watching. What's troubling is, there's always a possibility of the 'mirror effect' hitting home. What makes the effect even more potent is if the watcher has had to weather childhood trauma.

Note again; 'Some of the book’s material is alarming, to put it mildly. Childhood trauma, Pinsky writes, makes people vulnerable to “unhealthy levels of narcissistic traits.” And incidences of childhood trauma have increased by more than 40 percent over the past 20 years. The most jarring information involves how teenagers evolve as social beings. Their emotional development stalls in their teens, leaving them susceptible to the flood of narcissistic content heading their way.'