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SALT LAKE CITY -- The TV show "Big Brother 8" just began on CBS, and like "Real World," "Fear Factor" or "Survivor," some kids think it's the way to get rich and be happy.
"Certainly we see kids with a jilted view of reality, and I think reality TV has contributed to that," said Hollie Pettersson, the director of Secondary Instruction and Innovation for the Canyons School District.
The Oxford Dictionary of Education recently added the term "big brother syndrome" and defines it as "A growing tendency among younger learners to voice an ambition for celebrity without notable achievement."
But Pettersson says the recession is helping keep big brother syndrome in check.
"I think this economic climate is lending a dose of real reality to our students," she said.
Pettersson shows students how much money they can make with and without a college education and points to sad examples of "celebrities" with unfulfilled lives.
The Canyons district uses a chart to show kids how education pays. CLICK HERE to see that.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
