Young people would rather be Einstein than Jordan

Could this be the beginning of the end for reality television? More than a decade after Big Brother ushered in a new era of ordinary people watching other ordinary people do (mostly) ordinary things, young people are finally losing interest in becoming reality stars.
 
According to a new survey, 37 per cent of Britons aged 11-18 regard being a reality TV celebrity as the most embarrassing thing they could end up doing – as shameful, in their view, as being a shopkeeper, a hairdresser or, bizarrely, a stay-at-home parent. In contrast, only 17 per cent of young people would be most ashamed to end up as a burger-flipper.

The survey was commissioned as part of a new scheme to promote talented and ambitious youths, the Ambition AXA Awards.

As well as asking what made people ashamed, the survey also examined matters of pride.

More than 75 per cent of respondents said they would be most proud to be doctors, lawyers, scientists and teachers. Only eight per cent wanted to be a pop star, and just one per cent would be proud to become famous because of a reality TV programme.

Only three per cent saw being a banker or an MP as a source of pride, presumably reflecting recent news about the banking crisis and the Commons expenses scandal.
 
The apparent disenchantment with instant television fame suggests the influence of the tabloids and celebrity-focused magazines such as Closer is over-stated. The survey found that only 52 per cent of young people feel their career ambitions are shaped by the media, while more than 90 per cent said they listened to advice from teachers and parents. ·