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Representation of teenagers in the media
Representation of teenagers in the media
The influence of social media on teenagers
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The main focus for a teenager in high school is to fit in. Statistics have shown that 75 percent of teenagers in America currently are enrolled in social media. With social media comes the constant comparison to other people. In today’s society, many teenage girls are also negatively influenced by magazines and television that provide a false outlook on what life’s about: money. One of these television shows to blame is “Gossip Girl”. The television show “Gossip Girl” is about a group of Upper East Side residents who attend a high end preparatory school in Manhattan. The show displays what is it like to be of many riches as well as the contrary. In order to make business off of the show, the creators kept the audience on edge with many scandals …show more content…
For example, social class takes a toll on the characters. Balir Waldorph, a featured high end teenager, is characterized as being “queen bee” of Manhattan's social scene. Waldorph would begin each day with a cup of frozen yogurt on the MET steps and end it with a manicure in bed. One can say that this would be considered a “perfect” lifestyle, however, it is truly unrealistic. Blair does not live the life that most teenagers do, which is why “Gossip Girl” is not a teaching device. The television show allows teens to believe that money is the most important things in life rather than making true friends, and getting good grades. Although Waldorph does have a best friend, Serena van der Woodsen, she is constantly caught up with jealousy against her. For example, in the television show, Balir is persistantly seen comparing her brunette self to her best friend’s lucious golden blonde hair. Teenagers who watched the show are constantly filled with bad information about how to treat a friend, and how jelousy can affect a …show more content…
The producers on the show added tension by including many interactions with illegal substances such as drugs and underage drinking. The teenage characters were constantly filmed binge drinking after a breakup, or rebelling through drugs such as cocaine. This is highly innapropriate behavior for teenagers to experience as such a young age. Viewers of “Gossip Girl” are taught that they way to get through tough times in life is to drink mimosas or even smoke marajuana. Also, in one of the episodes, Serena van der Woodsen was drugged by someone who disliked her, and brought into a hotel room alone for days until found. This is a scary thought to provoke into a teenagers mind as a way of overcoming issues with another peer. Overall, the show did not provide the audience with lessons on how to deal with the lows in life in a positive and healthy
Teenagers enter into adolescence feeling insecure and unsure of themselves. They desire to fit in and belong. If they don't, they see themselves as abnormal. Children seek to become independent from their parents and immerse themselves in their own social environment during adolescence. According to Psychologist Erik Erikson “Peer groups fulfill the adolescent’s need for validity and acceptance and provide space and opportunity for exploration and experimentation.” This is likewise to the Protagonist Tracy because in order for her to get Evies acceptance she stole a purse from an old lady and afterwards went on a shopping spree. Tracy explored and experimented many things with her new found peer group however, from there, it all spirals down as Tracy experiences and responds to a variety of pressures and situations not uncommo...
It is exactly like how books and movies portray it to be. Everyone strives to be one of “those” kids that have everything that everyone dreams of having; a boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, social life, beauty, etc. In Merryweather High School, everyone wanted to be like the Marthas or the star jock, Andy Evans. Heather, the new girl from Ohio and Melinda’s only “friend,” tries so hard to be one of the “it” girls of Merryweather High. She does everything they ask and more.
When you think about your high school years, I’m sure we all have exceptional and dreadful memories. I’m sure all of us remember who was voted most popular, best dressed, who were the misfits of the school. If you want a glimpse of the different social classes in high school watch Mean Girls. Cady Heron is a freshman who for most of her life was home schooled and lived in Africa. Upon her first few days of school being the “new girl” she doesn’t quite fit it, until one day she accidently receives an invite from Regina George the most popular as well as the most hated girl in school to sit with her and friends at lunch. Soon after, she pretends to like them and hang out with them for inside information. During her investigation, she turns into
In the movie, 16 year old Cady Heron was the daughter of zoologist parents. They had been on a 12 year research trip in Africa before returning to the states so Cady was homeschooled most of all her life. While attending public school for the first time, Cady is swept away by who she thought she was to the new person she had become. A “plastic” is what she had become. The Plastics were the most popular girls in school, but also the messiest and most insecure. Downing others to make themselves feel better was what The Plastics lived for. It took for chaos, confusion, and betrayal for them to get to the gist of who they really are as individuals. The adolescence period in one’s life is a very tough and exciting time. A teen is constantly going through changes daily; physically, mentally and emotionally. Those with a strong sense of self make a smooth transition during this period, while others still looking for a sense of belonging seem to struggle. During the middle school years, they begin to develop more interpersonal relationships and peer acceptance be...
Adolescent egocentrism can occur when teenagers think they have an imaginary audience or think people are more concerned with their appearance and behavior than they really are. In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, Cady Herron, and Karen Smith are referred to as the "plastics" by their fellow classmates because of their self-absorbed personalities and glamorous looks. They have a book titled "The Burn Book" in which they talk about everyone in the school in a very nasty way. They believe that these people are concerned with how they look and act at all times. Gretchen Wieners said, "I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me...but I can't help it that I'm so popular." In the beginning of the film, Cady has a very humble personality in which her true friends admire. However, as the movie progresses Cady begins to think that everything she does is important to all of he...
“Fitting in” is a concept that is seen a lot in adolescence. Teenagers will do pretty much anything at times to have friends or appear to be “cool.” That is exactly what happens to Tracy in this film. As the film begins, Tracy is a good, simple girl, and her pureness all changes when she befriends the most popular girl in school, Evie Zamora. Evie is very rebellious. She does not have a strong authority figure in her life (Levy-Hinte, London, & Hardwicke, 2003). The sweet, innocent young Tracy is soon to be completely transformed. Evie is vividly a bad influence on Tracy from the beginning, as seen when she influences Tracy to steal something the first time they hang out together (Levy-Hinte, et al., 2003). Stealing is illegal and considered a minor crime and turns Tracy into a delinquent (Berk, 2011). Tracy’s identity development is heavily influenced by her new friendship with Evie from that moment on. Evie is so popular, but she makes very poor choices and Tracy follows her lead because she wants ...
Socialization in Television In our world everybody watches T.V. in order to fill time, entertain, or as a way to escape the world around us. One show that many used to watch is Glee. Glee is about a about a group of outcasts that try and make the glee club popular again. This takes place in a high school where the main focus is put upon the cheerleading and football teams.
Powerful individuals and social institutions have a great deal of influence over what is seen on television. Those with the most money can purchase the most media exposure, dominate the advertising field, and maximize their competitive advantage. Politics are often perfect examples of how money, power, and respect can cause an unbiased in an election. As another example, reality TV illustrates how prestige and wealth often form the basis for the most intense competitions within a society. Nearly all reality television shows use some sort of conflict over resources to keep their ratings going through the roof. It looks as though people easily associate to the manufactured struggles because of the conflicts that exist daily in their own
For example, while soap operas tend to be exceedingly sensational and over the top, most comedies gloss over the terrible things that may befall a family. Gritty crime shows and other dramas try to portray families more accurately, but still must follow certain rules. For this reason, dramas still tend to be unrealistic. The recent rise of popular cable television programs highlight key content regulations that contribute heavily to inaccurate family portrayals and ultimately, the broadcast networks’ decline.
Teenage girls are at an impressionable time in their lives. Mass media is a key part of one of the factors of socialization that become important to teenagers. Teenagers look to the media for entertainment. Whether it is movies, magazines, or even some aspects of social media, teenagers get a lot of influence from the media’s message. The problem with this is the media has a specific way of doing things and can be negative to a susceptible teenage girl.
The gossip industry has become popular in the last few decades. Our society enjoys knowing about the lives of celebrities. We obsess over celebrities on gossip websites, and even obsess to the extent of stalking these celebrities. This industry has impacted our culture immensely. It has tainted our culture in several ways from creating bad role models for our children to making stalking an everyday affair; either way, the media has changed our society greatly. The gossip industry has brought new entertainment for our pleasure, but it has come with negative consequences.
There has been controversy as to whether parents should limit the use of social media by teenagers. Teenagers feel that there is no need to limit the use of their social media networking, but on the other hand parents should feel the need to limit their use and also keep track of their teen’s social networking. Social media has allowed to be connected with their peers, teens who post positive status are more likely to be involved in extracurricular activities, and to many teens putting up “selfies” is a self confidence boost; however, too much social media can affect students GPA in school, cyber bulling can affect social health. Social media networks can give out personal information.
Most common among young adults and teens, social networking plays a significant role in the social lives of adolescents. The teenage years are “a time of identity formation and role development” (Pew Internet and American Life Project 11). Online identity among friends and peers has now become as significant as one’s own personal identity, in that online information can be seen by many and online interactions have become a primary source of communication. As a result, teens tend to concentrate greatly on social life and now a majority use social networking sites and other social media as an outlet for this personal growth.
There is no secret that a modern day teenager’s life is built around the usage of technology. As a result of society’s heavy reliance on technology, social media has become popular amongst people who are “technologically advanced.” Though there is a wide variety of social sites that can be accessed through modern day technology, a few have become very popular. Social sites which have become widely popular among teens include Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat. These social networking sites provide instant social connection and emotional support while letting teens post and send pictures of their everyday life. Many teens look towards social media for emotional support and social acceptance. The continual usage of these sites are negatively impacting the self- esteem of teenagers worldwide since they heavily rely on social medias to portray images of what they believe is acceptable for the society we live in.
In the twenty -first century, teenagers live in a life of social networking and life’s online. It’s hard to believe how much the world has changed over the decades, especially in technology. Technology helps people to contact relatives and friends from long distance more easily and conveniently. People can now talk to each other from everywhere in the world simply through chat and video calls. By time, internet connections have spread throughout households and social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram has increased gradually. However, the internet and several modern technologies have wasted many times and has hurt the society. Social media plays such a big role in people’s lives that some people couldn’t even imagine