Why have we become so obsessed with the lives of teen stars?

miley-c.netWhen I was growing up, I idolized the stars of "The Mickey Mouse Club," "Saved by the Bell," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Punky Brewster," and pop acts like Debbie Gibson and New Kids on the Block. I read all about them and tidbits about their personal lives in "Tiger Beat" and "Bop" magazine, but gossip wasn't nearly as juicy as it is nowadays. Furthermore, my parents could have cared less who these stars were dating or what where they liked to shop.

Times have changed and celebrity culture has exploded to monstrous proportions. With reality shows, rampant gossip blogs and weekly tabloids, the information is practically shoved down our throats whether we care or not. But one thing that surprises me is the interest we adults now have in the lives of teen stars.

Youngsters have increased interest and use of sites and magazines aimed at adults. As a result, many of these media outlets have widened their coverage to include teenage celebrities like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Taylor Momsen and Ali Lohan to name a few. Just yesterday I read an article on E! speculating on whether 15-year-old Dakota Fanning was dating 17-year-old fellow actor Freddie Highmore. Really? Is this news we care about?

I understand a parent wanting or at least hoping that the young stars their kids look up to are setting a good example, but investing in and closely following their private lives is too much. It's bad enough that we fixate on what the celebrities of our own age group wear, eat, say or do, but obsessing over the private lives of teenagers needs to stop. As for our fixation of teen-geared TV shows like "Gossip Girl" and "The Hills," well, hopefully one day we'll kick that addiction too.