Teen dramas: Enter the Outrageous World of Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Freedom

Teen dramas: Enter the Outrageous World of Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Freedom

English 101

Teen dramas on television today have moved beyond merely a source of entertainment and have become ingrained into the lifestyle of teens today. When teen dramas flaunt sex casually, without consequences or promote drugs and alcohol as a necessity for entertainment, its no surprise that this thinking becomes embedded into the minds of teens. The lack of parental authority on such TV shows, further deludes teens the false sense of responsibility and lack of consequences.  It’s evident that teen dramas’ influence can be detrimental to teens, not only changing how they think but also functioning as a role model for negative behaviors.

The hypersexualization of teens today can be attributed in part to their exposure to teen dramas on television. Shows like Gossip Girl have negatively impacted teens by promoting sex and shirking responsibility, leading to an increase in sexual activity among adolescents. New episodes of Gossip Girl received an average of 2.5 million people alone. (Pressler, Jessica, and Chris Rovzar) While the show’s network spokesman claims that these viewers were primarily made up of its target audience of women 18-34, in reality teens as young as 12 and up made up part of its active viewership. (The Associated Press, and Fox News)  In the first season of Gossip Girl one of the main characters, Blair is still a virgin. The manipulative queen bee sees this as a flaw that makes her less desirable and the one obstacle that lies in her path to her ultimate power and superiority. She casually tosses out the idea that her first time should be special, before making an effort to appear overtly sexual. The show’s characters practice of sex equates the idea that sex is directly connected with maturity, popularity and power. When Blair does, drunkenly lose her virginity, she brushes off the encounter and adds sex to her arsenal of weapons of manipulation. The other characters on the show nonchalantly sleep around, engage in threesomes and are unfaithful. Their need to engage in sex mindlessly makes it seem like sex is nothing more then a pleasure seekers high. The characters on the show may appear exciting and cool but the hyper-sexualized depiction of “teen life” creates an alternate reality in which teens lack responsibility, are unchecked by authority and are impervious to consequences. As a result their characterization is influencing the behavior of the show’s younger viewers. Research conducted by a behavior scientist at the RAND Health institute showed that teens exposed to “sexual content ‘acted older’: a 12-year-old at the highest levels of exposure behaved like a 14- or 15-year-old at the lowest levels.” (“Does Watching Sex on Television)  Teens today are not only becoming over-sexualized at an earlier age, but they are doing so unaware of the impact it has on them. With teens watching about 3 hours a day of teen programing like Gossip Girl, we can assume the average media driven teens’ exposure to sexual content is high. (How Teens Use Media)  This makes the influence of these shows all the more significant. While some may claim that shows like Gossip Girl are meant to be an exaggerated and indulgent look at teen life, rather than a model, evidence has shown that teen’s exposure to sexual content on television is negatively influencing how they think and act. Ultimately the negative messages and attitudes regarding sex on television imparted upon teens, fails to prepare them for the harsh realities of teen life.

When you tune into teen programing on television you’re guaranteed to be flooded by glamorized representations of drugs and alcohol.  Alcohol appears on average every 22 minutes on prime-time teen dramas, while illicit drug use appears only about every 100 minutes. (Strasburger)  The constant reference to drugs and alcohol on TV makes them appear like they are necessary parts of socialization among teens. In the UK television series Skins, the main characters are always shown having rave like parties where teens hedonistically pursue drugs and alcohol. Skin’s iconic “binge montages”, alternates fast paced scenes showing the main characters dancing and partying to loud club music either drunk, high or passed out. Nearly all the characters socially drink, smoke pot or use harder drugs like cocaine. This characterization of drugs and alcohol like that on most teen programming glamor’s teens into thinking that drugs and alcohol are easily accessible and can be used in excess without consequences.  An article published by the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics states, “In the absence of personal experience, frequent media representations of alcohol use can shape adolescents’ preferences and beliefs about likely outcomes of drinking… and increase [their] intentions to drink.” (Robinson)  Consequently teens watching teen dramas are learning to associate drugs and alcohol with having a good time, they then mimic their excessive usage without consciousness to the consequences. While some claim that teen dramas try to demonstrate the negative effects of drug and alcohol use, they actually desensitize teens about the real dangers and illegality of drug and alcohol usage. Teen dramas do little to discourage or even educate teens about drugs and alcohol; instead they promote their abuse among teens.

The portrayal of authority figures on teen dramas alienates teens from reaching out and respecting parental figures. As a result of this disconnect between teens and adults, teens have developed a false sense of maturity and superiority to such figures. Many of the top teen dramas disregard any form of family dynamic, instead portraying teens as independent from authority figures. This gives teens the sense that parental guidance is not necessary; and therefore they don’t need to respect it. On Gossip Girl the parents are characterized as dysfunctional and unconcerned with their children. While the teen characters become entangled in drama involving sex, drugs and relationships, the parents are shown having affairs, battling substance addiction and committing fraud. While it’s not that parents can’t be flawed, their portrayals on TV as vessels for drama and their absence of guidance or concern for their teens, makes adult figures appear unknowledgeable, irresponsible and hypocritical. There are few positive portrayals of authority in general on teen dramas. The majority of adult characters are limited to the absent, unassertive or inept parent types or school authority figures that fail to deal out any real penalties. Teenagers on TV are unchecked by authority and free to break the law, causing harm to others by engaging in destructive behaviors. Academic probation, pregnancy scares and being put into rehab are shown as the only extreme repercussions to the actions of the teens on Gossip Girl and despite them, the teens do not change or alter their behavior or thinking. These minimal examples of consequence teach teens that authority holds no real power over them. In a study conducted by James E. Pittman, Ph. D he found “that Generations Y and Z clearly fail miserably in regards to demonstrating respect towards persons of authority and others, and demonstrating that they have [their own] values, principles, [and] ethics.” (Pittman) Pittman identifies these generations as the media natives, who draw their values from mass media. It’s evident that teen dramas portrayal of parental figures only perpetuates teen’s general dismissal of authority. It would be easy to suppose the exaggerated portrayals of reckless teen behavior on TV demonstrates the need for parental guidance, however teen dramas delude teens into thinking they can disregard authority. Furthermore the lack of positive parental figures discourages teens from talking to authority figures to gain more information or advice about what they “learn” from teen dramas. Leaving them to adopt the values and behaviors on teen dramas as their own.

The portrayal of teen life on television establishes ignorance among teens and negatively impacts their thinking and behavior. Glamorized representations of sex, drugs and alcohol are contributing to the false maturity of teens. Teens are adopting the social values and habits they see on teen dramas, leading them to make poor choices and ill equipping them to face the reality of daily life. The negative characterization of parent figures in teen drama only further embeds the irrational thinking among teens and encourages destructive conduct.  As teens’ view negative behaviors being praised and rewarded through popularity, maturity, independence and wealth, they begin to exhibit these behaviors, blindly believing they can achieve the same glamorous, exciting lifestyle.

 

 

Works Cited

The Associated Press, and Fox News. “Parental Advocacy Group Slams CW’s ‘Gossip Girl’ for Intense Sexual Imagery.” Fox News. FOX News Network, 05 Nov. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/05/parental-advocacy-group-slams-cw-hit-gossip-girl-intense-sexual-imagery/>.

“Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens’ Sexual Activity?” Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens’ Sexual Activity? The RAND Corporation, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9068/index1.html>.

How Teens Use Media A Nielsen Report on the Myths and Realities of Teen Media Trends. Rep. N.p.: Nielsen, 2009. June 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:7t6bHkusaWcJ:blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/reports/nielsen_howteensusemedia_june09.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgp6WRj1o-pjmmkFKRS88ZYbjuX5roA9X-J4OEB8Ba_Ua90WyYpv2yAtetNY5xaXgj1xhEnELqRF9tiwJOWVXxOJpZOdcvdYS4DKkSYAhSuV7w9YHVNSqsIsXGPslgXC4vfRDHe&sig=AHIEtbRjZ8XkKvLKcEnSeQHnPigRik718w>.

Pittman, James E. A Callosity of an American Democratic Value: A Lack of Respect for Authority by Generation Y and Generation Z. N.p., 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <rwahlers.iweb.bsu.edu/abd2009/Papers/P09_pittman.pdf>.

Pressler, Jessica, and Chris Rovzar. “How ‘Gossip Girl’ Is Changing the Way We Watch Television — New York Magazine.” New York Magazine 28 Apr. 2008: 1-7. How ‘Gossip Girl’ Is Changing the Way We Watch Television — New York Magazine. New York Magazine, 21 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://nymag.com/arts/tv/features/46225/index3.html>.

Robinson, Thomas N., Helen L. Chen, and Joel D. Killen. “Television and Music Video Exposure and Risk of Adolescent Alcohol Use.” Pediatrics 102.5 (1998): E54. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/102/5/e54.full#cited-by>.

Strasburger, Victor C. “Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media.” From the American Academy of Pediatrics 126.4 (2010): 791-99. Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/4/791.full>.