Is the Web Creating a Crueler Generation?

Ypulse: Media for the Next Generation

This generation of teens has grown up on reality television, a genre that often thrives on conflict and humiliation ("American Idol" auditions, "America's Funniest Home Videos"). I think our culture as a whole has gotten much crueler -- the endless tabloid coverage, gossip blogs and celeb weeklies that pick apart stars, show close-ups of their cellulite and revel in their screw ups, has a trickle down affect on the young people that consume this entertainment. At the same time, we have managed to redefine what it means to be famous. You can endure a scandal or public humiliation and somehow come out on top, just like Paris Hilton, Miss Teen South Carolina...and who knows, maybe even Britney. Teens mirror this culture on a micro-level -- there's drama and mini-scandals happening online all the time. Compromising photos get posted and sent around leaving a permanent online record of teen exploits. Unfortunately, these teens don't have an army of publicists and media handlers to help them overcome the humiliation and transform it into fame and fortune. They are getting thicker skins though, and, I think, a growing sense of satisfaction in watching the celebrity trainwreck.