Pauline Njoroge says there is a new big problem in the Mt. Kenya area, besides people drinking too much alcohol. Some famous people have become very rich very fast, but they do not have much learning. Many people are very excited about these famous people. The famous people are influencing many of the talks people have in that community.
Njoroge says when a community starts looking up to people like these famous people for inspiration and role models, especially when the children see them as people to follow, then that community is causing big trouble for itself in the future.
When people with little learning suddenly become rich and famous, it can send the wrong message. Children may think the way to succeed is through getting rich and famous quickly, rather than working hard in school. They may not understand the importance of learning.Having role models who did not complete much schooling can make young people think learning is not valuable or needed to achieve wealth and fame. This thinking can lead to more students dropping out of school as they lose motivation to study.
Additionally, famous people who became wealthy overnight may not have had to develop skills like keeping at it, waiting for things, and overcoming hard times through hard work over many years. The ideas and work habits they lived by could promote ideas of getting rich quickly without developing key character strengths.
There is also a risk that some of these suddenly rich and famous people made their money through unethical or illegal ways that are not public knowledge. If that is the case, they could be glorifying unlawful behavior. Role models who show off a luxurious lifestyle built on little learning reinforce the idea that you don’t need a good education to make it big. While there are always exceptions of wildly successful dropouts, information shows learning leads to better jobs and higher income over a lifetime.
Njoroge seems to be calling for more role models in Mt. Kenya who worked hard, stayed in school, and achieved success through keeping at it and legal ways. She wants to avoid a culture that glorifies shortcuts to wealth over the empowerment of learning.Her concern is that too many famous people are teaching the wrong mindsets, especially to impressionable young people.
By Newsmedia