“Films
present adolescents as dumb, sex-craved individuals who experiment with drugs
and alcohol and take any opportunity they get to show their unique identity”
(Faulkner par. 8). As a teen, I feel as though I can’t create my own identity
because it has been created for me. I’m away at college, 400 miles away from
any familiarity. My parents assume when I say “I went over my friend’s house
last night,” that I was drinking or it was some party, when in reality it
wasn’t. I’m in a sorority and the stereotype will never go away. I may be
biased, but we do a great service to the community by working with our
philanthropy and raising money constantly. When I wear letters, I get dirty
looks, not only by students but by professors sometimes, “just another dumb
sorority girl.” My identity as a teenager has been created for me as well as
the billions of other teenagers in the United States and my identity as a
sorority girl has been created for me, with no chance of changing it.
“Teens who see and hear a lot about sex in the media may be
more than twice as likely to have early sexual intercourse as those who are
rarely exposed to sexual content” (Warner par. 1). Most movies now-a-days have
some type of sexual content within; it’s unavoidable. Most teens see these acts
on the screen or read about it in some magazine or hear it in the lyrics of a
song almost on a regular basis. A study published by the American Association
of Pediatrics showed that teens exposed to sexual content from ages 12 to 14
were more at risk for early teen sex despite the disapproval of their parents.
This doesn’t only apply to sexual behavior. Children that are exposed to
violence and drugs from an early age are also more likely to participate in
this behavior.
I hear
parents say, “I remember when my daughter/son was a teenager. Never want to go
back there!” Are teens really that bad? Does the media make adolescents act a
certain way? Do parents see these things in the media and assume they’re child
is doing it too? The media seems to be at fault, according to Teen Health and the Media. “Ads for
alcohol run rampant during some of the television’s most popular programming.”
Budweiser manufacturers spent over $20 million on commercials during the 2003
Super Bowl. A study found that 32% of 15 to 17 year olds sexual decisions were
influenced by the media.
“Because
of the developing emotions of adolescents due to the onset of puberty, movies
can have a huge effect…Teens are most likely to become emotionally invested and
interested in the situations that pertain to their changing views of the world
and growing status in society. These issues include identity formation,
high school graduation, college, moving away from home, sex,
driving, and parental relationships” (Faulkner par. 2).
No comments:
Post a Comment