Portrayal of Teens in the Media
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Have you ever met someone who acted just as teens are stereotyped? Not many people have because they do not exist. Real teens are poorly portrayed in the media and are the complete opposite of their stereotypes. Books and TV shows make teens out to be wild or crazy, irresponsible and out of control. One hardly ever hears about teen-heroes. Instead, newspapers and magazines are plastered with stories of teens and crime. And while looking at commercial billboards and other related media, the regular teen seems to be sex-crazed and image-obsessed.
First of all, whenever someone opens a book or magazine or turns on the television, they see a bunch of teens having fun. Immediately, because of how society sees teens, people think that the teens must be doing something wrong. People think that teens are out to cause trouble, when in reality, most of them mean no harm.. Many people may think that teens are dangerous and shun them for their own safety. It is almost a prejudice against the teenage race.
To continue, it is very rare that one reads or hears about the good teens do for society. Rather, journalists and publicists seem to enjoy highlighting the acts that hurt teens' images. For example, in an article of last year's (1998) "Teen People Magazine", an article told about the recent high-school shootings. One of these incidents occurred when a young boy brought his father's rifle to school and started shooting people. As a result, the boy shot and killed four schoolmates and a 32-year-old teacher. This and other incidents of the sort give teenagers a very bad image. The article shows that some teens are irresponsible and not very smart.
Furthermore, teens are often seen in ads purposely trying to look and act older than their age. They seem to be obsessed with sex and looking good. In the movie "Clueless", the main characters are all from Beverley Hills. This would be an extremely magnified portrayal of the teens of today. In this movie, everyone is caught up with buying the latest name-brand fashions or befriending kids in the popular crowd. Also in this movie, most of the characters are about fifteen-years-old but are already starting to experiment with sex. Although teens may think about sex a great deal, not all teens think that having sex is right at such a young age and are not so eager to "do the deed.
High School as teenagers as the century was about to turn, they could have easily morphed into Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, taking innocent lives in a society that breeds contempt – if looking for it.
Teenagers play an important role in society since they are old enough to have their own opinions but aren’t regarded by adults to have opinions worth sharing. Song highlights many important ideas like teenagers have a lot to do with worldwide issues such as gun control and LGBT rights. “Like adults, teens deserve to speak and to have the opportunity to be heard, and we deserve the respect that any other adult would expect. We shouldn’t be counted out just for our age when many of us are mature beyond our years. We shouldn’t be belittled or disregarded for having the audacity to believe we can make a difference.(“Why More Adults Need to Value Teenage Voices by Isabel Song)” Song believes that not all teenagers should be stereotyped as lazy, selfish, and arrogant because their voices should be counted in society. If adults keep on neglecting on teenagers, they won’t see the amazing things that teenagers are doing right now for the
Throughout time, generations have been exposed to the theme of teenagers rebelling in literature, films, and music. Teenagers rebelling is a topic that everyone can relate to because of the pressure that comes with being a teenager. During this time, teenagers are being given rules to follow, expectations to meet, and society telling them what they need to do to make their lives meaningful. The exposure to rebelling themes in the media is presenting them with messages to relate to, and can even showcase the consequences that will come with their actions.
"Teen Health and the Media." Teen Health and the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014. .
Many people find themselves thinking “what did they just say” or “That is so inappropriate” when watching TV. Especially when watching shows on MTV. There’s a controversy about whether shows on MTV such as “16 and Pregnant”, “Teen Mom”, and “Jersey Shore” glamorize or prevent destructive behaviors in teens.
There are many ways teens are similar to teens in our worlds, although hers is more extreme. In Fahrenheit 451 they have a “fun park...or go out in the cars and race on the streets.” Also have a Window smasher place and a car wreck place where children can go and smash windows and wreck cars. While in our society one cannot turn on the news without hearing about another teenager shooting another teenager or teenager creating a massacre at school. There are also gang violence which make the lives of many teenagers.
Nowadays, a standard stage of growing up is feeling the stress of one’s body image due to the growing pressure from society and media. In 2012 there was a survey that said “A full 50 percent of children from 8 to 10 years old report being ‘unhappy’ with their bodies” (ProQuest Staff). This is because when girls are growing up they see models/ actresses on TV and magazines that are thin and look beautiful and they think that’s what they are supposed to look like; unfortunately this is unrealistic. In 2006 there was a fashion model named Luise Ramos who died of a heart attack moments after she steps off the runway during fashion week in Montevideo (ProQuest Staff). News accounts later report that Ramos, 22, had been eating only lettuce and diet
Males, Mike. "Why Demonize a Healthy Teen Culture." Los Angeles Times 9 May. 1999. Rpt. in Violence in the Media as "Teenagers Are Not Becoming More Violent." Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven. 2001. 82-84.
Malcolm, Teresa. "Teen Violence: Does Violent Media Make Violent Kids?" National Catholic Reporter 28 May 1999: 14-15.
People can be stereotypical when it comes to labeling teenagers. In school, teens are giving a name based on whom they hang out with and how they treat others. Classifying others can be positive and negative.
Today I will be talking about the way the authors and creators of a television commercial and newspaper article influence us to their opinion by writing the way they do. The topic that I am studying is Teenage Pregnancy. This topic is always going to be in the media for different reasons, and occasionally you hear about a story of a young girl getting pregnant due to un-safe sex. There will always be issues with this subject within society because so many people have different opinions and views of this topic and weather or not it right or wrong.
Teens are inspired by many famous people, but these famous people think they are better than most people because their fame lets off neurotransmitter in their brain. This neurotransmitter is dopamine; it is the same neurotransmitter that goes off when one eats or has sex (Kardaras 2016). Dopamine is also given off when one uses the internet, this is why people become easily addicted because it makes them happy. Peoples bodies are always looking for happiness and with the use of technology one will receive happiness. This happiness is given off the use of social media and the false reality it creates for
Males, Mike (1994). “ Bashing Youth: Media Myths about Teenagers”. Online at: , consulted on March/April, 1994.
Media is the main means of mass communications, such as televisions (TVs), radio, magazines and newspapers, which reach the wide majority of a population. It offers entertainment, culture, news, sports and education, and celebrities are regarded by young people as heroes and idols. The media is an important and often inescapable part of our lives and has much to teach but some of what it teaches may not be what we want our youth to learn. Our society is constantly bombarded with commercials whose purpose is to sway our buying habits, and with shows, movies and magazines which influence what we wear, like, and think. These messages are interpreted differently by young people and have a direct impact on their increase use of illegal, and sometimes prescribed, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. There is a direct relation between the ways celebrities are viewed as having the perfect lifestyle and how teenagers believe illegal substances would enhance their life in the same way. The different sources of media also aid in this portrayal. Reality TV shows promote the use and abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco by celebrities and regular people who get their one minute chance in the limelight.
Teens are an easy reach for advertisers. “Teens are jaded, bombarded by tons of advertising messages”(Winsor 1). There are advertisements at movie theaters, on television, and in teen magazines. Advertisers also reach teens through social media such as the internet and websites. Teens are constantly on Facebook and YouTube, whi...