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New Zealand youth rate self-belief, intelligence and determination above all else when singling out role models, reveals new research released by Youthtown.

Musician and current The X Factor USA judge, Demi Lovato, is the top ranking role model, holding all the qualities young people admire most in those they look up to.
Over 1,100 teenagers, completed the Youthtown Voice of New Zealand Survey commissioned by Youthtown and undertaken by Point Research, which aims to give young people aged 13-18 a voice on the things that matter most to them.
Researcher, Alex Woodley, says the results show that youth still hold strong moral values and look up to celebrities because of personality traits which made them successful, not because they’re famous or rich.
“It’s not the Kardashians or Miley Cyrus they admire, but those who appear unaffected by the opinions of others,” Woodley said.

Emma Watson and Ellen Degeneres debut in this year’s survey, with young people admiring their genuine personality and strong self-respect.
Despite a slight drop (5 per cent) in the number of youth who look up to someone well-known or famous from 2012, musicians (44 per cent) still hold the number one spot as role models for New Zealand teens.
Sportspeople remain in second spot (21 per cent) followed by TV stars (13 per cent), actors (12 per cent) and cultural heroes (6 per cent). Only 4 per cent look up to politicians or authors.
Nelson Mandela and Willie Apiata are two of the top ranking cultural heroes, with Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Irene Van Dyke some the top ranked sportspeople.
Ms Woodley says the results show that the country’s youth continue to hold strong moral and cultural values, and aren’t simply aspiring to be rich or famous.

YOUTH ROLE MODELS

Top Ranking Musicians

·         Demi Lovato

·         Taylor Swift

·         Beyonce

·         Justin Bieber

·         One Direction

Top Ranking Sportspeople

·         Richie McCaw

·         Michael Jordan

·         Dan Carter

·         Sonny Bill

·         Irene Van Dyke

Top Ranking Authors

·         J K Rowling

·         Roald Dahl

·         Tolkien

Top Ranking Politicians

·         Barack Obama

·         Helen Clark

Top Ranking Cultural Heroes

·         Nelson Mandela

·         Martin Luther King

·         Mahatma Ghandi

·         Willi Apiata

Top Ranking Movie Stars

·         Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)

·         Emma Watson

·         Johnny Depp

Top Ranking TV Stars

·         Ellen

·         Tina Fey

·         David Attenborough

Top Ranking Religious figures

·         Jesus

·         God

·         Mother Theresa

Tags: Youth