Rosalind Wiseman

Nickelodeon's iCarly follows a tween who has her own web show.

I may only be 25, but I already have seven little kids in my life and one more on the way. Crazy, right? Okay, I’m being a bit disingenuous… The kids in my life are all nieces and nephews, a happy byproduct of having five older siblings. One of my sister’s doesn’t let her children — four girls between the ages of six and 13 — watch much TV, so as the dutiful “cool aunt,” I indulge them whenever I get a chance.

I find most of the shows they watch to be funny and engaging, and I appreciate the fact that I see a lot more diversity on the screen than when I was a kid. But they really don’t remind me at all of the shows I watched growing up, most of which I’d characterize as “family sitcoms.” Thinking about my favorite shows, it’s not hard to come up with a long list that fit this model: “Full House,” “Boy Meets World,” “The Wonder Years,” “Step By Step,” “Family Matters,” “The Fresh Prince of Bell Air,” “The Cosby Show,” “Growing Pains,” and “Family Ties” to name a few.

If family was the central theme of 80s and 90s television shows, then how, I wondered, could I categorize the shows that today’s ’tweens are watching? One motif in particular struck me: celebrity. In many of the shows the kids and I were watching, the ‘tween and teenage characters were either famous, accomplished, or wealthy, or some combination of the three. Before some of these young people are even old enough to drive or vote, they’ve already achieved a level of personal success that most of us can only dream about — perhaps a mirror into the lives of the young actors who portray them.

What’s more, because these kids are leading adult lives, the real adults in the show are often portrayed in secondary roles –not only in terms of the plot, but also in their ability to intervene at critical moments in the kids’ lives and give sound advice.

Shows like “Hannah Montana” immediately stick out as fitting this aspirational celebrity theme (average girl leads a secret double life as a famous rock star). Disney put that concept into even more concrete terms with their documentary series “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream,” which chronicles the everyday and not-so-everyday happenings of these real-life teen rockers.

But after a little more research I noticed the trend was much more far reaching. Take a look at synopses of several hit shows:

Sonny With a Chance: Sonny Monroe’s dreams of the bright lights and the big time are coming true! The producer of the hit ‘tween sketch comedy show, So Random!, has just signed her to be the new cast member after he saw her hilarious web video! It’s everything she could possibly want! (Disney)

iCarly: Carly Shay led a pretty normal life…until she and her friends started their own web show, that is. When iCarly becomes an instant success, Carly and her pals have to balance their newfound fame with the problems of everyday life. (Nickelodeon)

True Jackson, VP: What would you do if you landed your dream job as a big shot at a major company and you were only 15?… True Jackson gets the chance of a lifetime when she’s hired by her idol and made VP of his fashion empire! Will True learn to navigate this scary new world? Will all her dreams come true? (Nickelodeon)

A few others – such as “Cory in the House,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” and “The Cheetah Girls” – also have similar aspirational elements.

My immediate (over)reaction to this phenomenon is, gosh, isn’t it enough to simply be a kid these days? But truly it deserves more careful consideration of what the media are communicating (both positively and negatively) through these shows.

Clearly, there’s a “your dreams really can come true” theme, which is encouraging to any young person. Many of the characters in these shows begin as ordinary kids whose lives are fantastically turned upside down. Young kids can be inspired to dream big and work hard to achieve success. Equally important is showing the costs of fame; in the new feature-length Hannah Montana movie, for example, the character will explore which of her two lives really makes her happy — the glitz and excitement of a rock star, or the simple pleasures living on a farm in Tennessee. In this way, common misconceptions about how everything is easy for the rich and famous have a chance to be scrutinized.

One issue, however, is particularly troubling to me. Namely, what the shows teach kids about what they need to be in order to count. For example, if a child learns that a person’s voice only begins to matter if they’re famous – in other words, if other people think it matters. Kids can also feel a lot of pressure if faced with the idea that they have to be much more than average – good looking, funny, talented, and smart – and at all times. It’s a lot to live up to when you’re not only comparing yourself to the kids in your school, but to unbelievably famous and accomplished teen celebrities.

Even more important than what I think, though, is how kids interpret the shows’ messages. So the next time you’re watching a show you think fits this pattern (on second thought, better wait until after the show’s over or you face little chance of even being acknowledged in the room, let alone listened to), ask the young people in your life what they think about them. Start off by just asking why they like or dislike the show, and then you can use the following questions to prompt further discussion.

How to use aspirational tween shows as a teaching tool…

What determines who’s respected on the show (who’s listened to vs. who gets ignored)?

If a character is famous, what are the benefits of that? Do you notice any costs to that? (If yes, what?)

Do you notice any product placements? (If a character is using a computer or phone, can you tell what kind it is? Clothing brands? Food or drink brands?)

What roles do adults play in the show? Are they helpful to the kids? Are they the butt of the jokes? What do you think about that?

What message do you think the people who created this show want to send you? Do you think it works?