Should Kids Be Exposed to Hollywood gossip?

Hollywood gossip. There’s no escaping it. From online sources such as TMZ.com and perezhilton.com to print magazines such as US Weekly and People Magazine, it’s everywhere these days. People just can’t get enough of Brittany or Lindsay. So what do kids think about all that Hollywood gossip and is it healthy for children to be exposed to it?

While we think that we see more Hollywood gossip today than we have in years past, it’s really just that we are exposed to more because there are more outlets for Hollywood gossip to be spread--traditional network TV, cable channels, weekly magazines, tabloid papers, and on and on. There has always been Hollywood gossip in the press. In “olden days” Hollywood gossip was transmitted via radio and newspapers by reporters such as Army Archard. Kids saw and heard this Hollywood gossip just as they do today. Children heard about the suicide of Marilyn Monroe and the sexual exploits of Fatty Arbuckle. Perhaps they didn’t hear it quite as many times as they do today but they still heard it. No doubt parents in those days raised the same questions as parents today, should I shield my child from hearing about this.

The fact of the matter is, unless you disconnect the cable, shut down the Internet, or stop walking past magazines in the grocery store, your children are going to be seeing and hearing Hollywood gossip about the exploits of the rich and “infamous.”

So what should you do about the Hollywood gossip your kids are exposed to? Most experts would likely agree that you can not prevent your children from being exposed to Hollywood gossip. What you can do, however, is talk with them about what they see. In other words, use the Hollywood gossip for teaching moments.

Does that sound far fetched to you? Well think about it. Not too long ago the Hollywood gossip wire was full of information about Jamie Lynn Spears and her out of wedlock pregnancy. What a great time to talk with your pre-teen daughter about the dangers out there. Or how about the Hollywood gossip that was generated when Shia LaBeouf had a dangerous accident that injured his hand? That could have presented the perfect opportunity to raise the issue of drinking and driving. The list could go on and on. So it’s really all about how you use the Hollywood gossip information that is out there. Who knows, perhaps exposing your children to Hollywood gossip could be a good thing.

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