Media, which is advertised for young people, portrays adult content in a glamorized way. Programs such as Euphoria, Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale are exploiting topical adult subjects and selling them as teenage entertainment.
Teenage shows are commonly made up of awkward relationships and cliché lines which are admittedly innocent and tacky. However, they are now continually pushing the boundaries of what should constitute a teen-appropriate show. Programs such as Euphoria, Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale are marketed as teenage dramas, but often include adult themes. An example of this is in Euphoria, where they talk about substance abuse and sexual relationships. These are subjects which may be important to bring up among teenagers, however, if their main source of this information is a teenage drama it can be problematic as it is not informative and makes very serious issues look attractive. There is no education or context surrounding the scenes that are created to have a dramatic impact and encourage viewing. Additionally, it could be said that Euphoria actually goes further and romanticizes drug abuse; covering it in glitter, makeup, and dramatic music. Thus, issues that are relevant to teenagers are not making them aware of them but making them appealing – the opposite of what is intended.
Furthermore, an instance of serious issues being glamourized is in Pretty Little Liars, where a relationship between a teacher (Ezra Fitz) and a student (Aria Montgomery) is portrayed. This is concerning as teenagers may see this power imbalance in a relationship and think this is normal. It could be argued that having adults playing teenagers can be difficult as it shows unrealistic standards for teenagers, they also could also be guilty of symbolic annihilation- which is “the absence of representation, or underrepresentation, of some group of people in the media (often based on their race, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, etc.)” This could make certain people feel less important or heard.
You may be asking yourself, what’s the issue which this new generation of media focused on drugs, death and war? However, it has been proved to have serious impacts on the wider lives of teens and even impact greater society. These mature topics are inescapable and when overindulged upon, could result in dangerous consequences. For example, after doing research about 37 school shootings according to the department of education (USA) “over half of attackers demonstrated [former] violence through movies or video games”. This is a clear display of how negative this consumption of “teen” shows and material can be for young people. By being surrounded by unrealistic depictions of life decorated in glitter and sparkles many become numb to the real issue depicted in series such as Euphoria or Pretty Little Lies. Furthermore, as children become so desensitized to issues such as drugs and war when these serious issue are displayed in the news they may not see the true and real issue.
by Carys Slimming, Olivia McFarlan and Abby Ginever
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