CSI May Not Be Reality Television, But The “CSI Effect” Is Very Real

I was a senior in high school the year the Academy Award winning film Broadcast News came out. I absolutely loved the movie, and from the first of what would become many viewings, my career path shifted in a whole new direction. I loved the way the movie portrayed the world of television news, and I desperately wanted to live the life of an important news producer like the one Holly Hunter so wonderfully played in the movie.

After years of pursuing a career in television news, I eventually realized that it probably wasn’t for me, while simultaneously discovering that no matter how realistically Broadcast News portrayed the inner workings of TV news, it was still a glammed-up Hollywood version of the real thing. I realized that much of what attracted me to the career was the superficial stuff…the cool apartment Hunter’s character lived in, her unique friendship with a quirky on-air reporter…even the ever-present pressure of the job was somehow romanticized.

An article in today’s News & Observer talks about the reality of the “CSI Effect” – the idea that the popularity of CSI has caused a serious spike in interest in forensic science as a career, especially among young women. Shows like The Apprentice and now Grey’s Anatomy are also having a similar impact, as teens’ interest in careers in business and medicine have jumped along with the shows’ popularity.

It only makes sense that the more media exposure we have to different careers, the more our interest in those jobs and lifestyles grow. That’s totally normal, and it’s totally great. The only real problem comes when that movie or TV show or book glamorizing a career becomes the basis for making a decision without more exploration. That notion is a big reason why I wanted to write my upcoming book for teen girls, In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers. When we make choices based on Hollywood’s take, we’re setting ourselves up for disillusionment.

Check out Junior Achievement’s recently released study about teens and career choices here.

Opportunities for Career Exploration for Teen Girls
From time to time, I’ll use this blog to share information about unique opportunities for girls to explore different careers. Here are three recent finds:

Camp CEO: A week-long camp in Arizona where teen girls can learn about what it takes to start and run their own business (July 29 – August 4, 2007).

DigiGirlz Summer Camps: Introduces High School girls to the many career fields offered within the High Tech industry. Two to five-day camps are located in Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Fargo, ND; Las Colinas, TX; Redmond, WA; Stony Brook, NY; and Washington, D.C. (August).

Camp Blaze: A one-week camp in North Bend, WA where teen girls can learn about and develop skills necessary to be a firefighter (July).

Do you know of any unique opportunities for teen girls to explore different career options? Let me know about them and I’ll post them here!