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Comment by pqdbr | Hacker News Reader

I think you answered your own question about what this is supposed to tell us.

I’d love my child to long being an astronaut, and all the studying and life choices it will impose on them. Can’t say the same about becoming a TikToker.

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I'm not going to argue that really wanting to be an astronaut won't have better life outcomes. My point is that asking young people what they "plan to become" is very different from what they really want (much less intend to achieve).

If the two were the same, we'd have a lot of firefighters and astronauts.

It shows who they consider role models, at the very least. I would rather my child idolize an astronaut or a firefighter than a social media star.

We all want the things we consider good for our children. I want my hypothetical ones to read Buddenbrooks, but I know they're probably going to watch YouTube instead.

Social media stars are an extension of fame, a basic human desire. It's not surprising (or even particularly civically harmful) that fame is now associated with TikTok influencers rather than movie stars. Your child is about as likely to become either.

Jonny Kim (Navy Seal, MD from Harvard, Astronaut) is also famous, he'd be a better role model. Accomplishing 1/3 of what he's done is impressive in its own right.

Who in this thread is claiming that astronauts are not impressive? Of course they are, especially to me as an adult.

As a 16 year old, I wouldn't give a damn that Jonny Kim has an MD from Harvard. I did, however, find myself impressed by the fact that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier while lying about his broken ribs[1]. I have no idea which (if any) college he went to.

[1]: https://medium.com/knowledge-stew/when-chuck-yeager-broke-th...

How is it different than making videogames? Is James Hoffmann a YouTuber or a batista or an entrepreneur? I don't watch social medias to know a "better" example or not too contrived .

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