While doing my yearly rewatch of the teen drama Gossip Girl, I cringed at the unrealistic and wild plotlines.
Popular movies and television shows want to resonate with modern-day teenagers, but most teens don’t go to private school in New York City and live lives of luxury.
The media creates enticing storylines to get viewers hooked instead of attempting to relate to teenagers. This exaggeration of the lives of teens can leave us feeling invalidated.
How this impacts today’s teens
Most television shows and movies about teens cast adults to play the leading roles since it can be challenging to cast actual teenagers. Minors are severely time restricted by child labor laws; therefore, casting adults to play teens is a convenient choice.
Adults have gone through puberty and most no longer deal with symptoms like acne and intense mood swings. These actors look practically perfect on screen, and this notion of looking flawless at all times leads to teens having self-image issues.
Examples of inaccuracy
The second issue is the storylines screenwriters create. They are extremely inaccurate to what actually occurs in average high school settings. The mundane events teens experience don’t adapt well to the screens, and the intense friendship and romantic drama depicted on screen isn’t realistic.
One of the most popular Netflix shows Outer Banks centers around a group of teens hunting for a legendary treasure. The social class war depicted in the show is exaggerated and not a real reflection of the Outer Banks region.
The drama Euphoria displays teens going through traumas and addiction. The main character’s storyline includes abuse, family secrets and mental health struggles. Teens do experiment with things like drugs and sex, but usually not at this magnitude. Also, the characters of Euphoria are supposed to be 17 and 18 years old; however, the actors were all well into their twenties when filming began.
These shows are vastly different, yet they both struggle to depict the issues average teenagers face. Unrealistic plots and exaggerated characters don’t allow teens to see their own lives reflected in these shows. Teens are often unable to make true connections to characters in their shows.
How to make a change
Creators need to take the time to study real teens. Inviting teens into the writing process or having them give feedback on scripts will greatly help make a change.
A better representation of the lives of teens could include characters balancing school and work — teens are more likely to enjoy and engage with television shows and movies if they see themselves on the screen.
What is your favorite or least favorite TV show or movie about teenagers? Let us know in the comments below!
