Many young people today know more about international pop or movie stars than about famous people in the history of their own country. Why is this? What can be done to increase young people’s interest in famous people in the history of their country?

Younger generations today are often more interested in international celebrities rather than

figures

from their country’s past. In my opinion,

this

is a natural tendency related to mass media and can be mitigated by improving

history

lessons

in schools. Younger people today organically gravitate towards individuals they resonate with and see in entertainment.

This

applies equally to those in the film and music industries.

For example

, one of the most popular singers for the

last

decade has been Taylor Swift, an artist who prolifically releases albums, updates her Instagram, and is generally present online and in the entertainment world. Young people listen to her songs and identify with her and

then

follow her personal life closely in order to enjoy a vicarious, uplifting feeling.

This

stands in marked contrast to historical

figures

who no longer contribute or offer any present value.

This

tendency to value current stars can be countered with more engaging

history

classes.

History

lessons

in most contexts focus on dry facts and propaganda.

However

, there are historians who can enliven historical events

such

as in Robert Caro’s non-fiction or Hilary Mantel’s historical fiction.

Therefore

, if students were introduced to passages from those sources, there is a stronger likelihood that it would instil in them a lifelong passion for the study of

history

and the

figures

that have shaped our current world. If

such

lessons

were combined with more relevant current events

lessons

,

then

students might be more compelled to understand, respect, and continue researching great historical actors. In conclusion, though there is a natural inclination to pay more attention to contemporary pop culture

figures

, an emphasis on quality texts could encourage young people to care more about individuals from the past.

This

will not cause a seismic shift but could have a marginal impact.