Teen People magazine just announced its list of the "25 Hottest Stars Under 25." Topping the list are actors, singers and moguls, including Natalie Portman (Star Wars), Kelly Clarkson (American Idol), singer Jessica Simpson (The Dukes of Hazard) and singer Jesse McCartney (Summerland). It's on newstands now.
Celebs Helps Teens Mature
And while we're on the subject of teen celebs, did you know that worshipping a favorite celebrity could be seen as a good thing? A recent UK study suggested that celebrity worship plays "an important part of growing up," claim psychologists from the Universities of Leicester and Coventry. The study looked at children between the ages of 11 and 16, reports New Scientist magazine. Approximately one third of those surveyed revealed that gossiping about famous folk was a big part of socializing. That's got to be less traumatizing than gossiping negatively about fellow classmates.
Teens view celebrities as heroes, trend-setters and part of an extended social network of friends. Watching prestigious people is typical human nature. Celebrities are popular, successful people who model behavior on how a teen can become successful herself. But there's one down side to all this celebrity watching. Teens who are too attached to celebrities may be exhibiting signs of depression, insecurity and/or loneliness. So while it's good to be interested in celebs, star devotion should never take the place of developing healthy, in-depth relationships with teen peers.A Trip to the Prom
Many teens write to their favorite celebs, asking for autographed pictures, professing their admiration and so on. Some teens even go so far as to ask a star to come to their birthday parties. And once in a while, a teen enters a contest that could win a special celebrity appearance for his or her school. So what would you or your teen do if a dream of meeting a favorite celeb suddenly became a reality?
Last week, singer Ryan Cabrera promised a high school senior that he would perform at her June 4 prom, reports The Morning Call, a Florida newspaper. The senior, who also happens to be the homecoming queen, was obviously flabbergasted. After all, how often does a fan wish get granted in such a dramatic way?
A few months earlier, Ashley Stokes had completed a contest entry at her local JC Penney store. 65,000 entries and 1,100 JC Penney stores later, Ashley and her school were chosen the winners. The news was revealed during a recent school assembly. Ashley had no clue until a video tape of Ryan was played, mentioning her name. In addition, she wins a free prom dress, a makeover from JC Penney, and a limo ride to the prom. Now isn't that a fairy tale come true? In the words of one of Ashley's classmates, "Dude, this is big!"
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