#4. Teenagers

Out of all the viewers of television and film, I believe that teenagers are affected the most by what they see. Being a teen is the time when people start to learn about themselves, distinguish what's right from wrong and search for independence. But the things a teenager hears and sees through the media play a very hefty role in the opinions and thought processes of a teenager. Most of the movies and TV shows that depict teens within them are about high school anyway and automatically steal the attention of teenagers. The media can be seen as both positive and negative for teens in many ways. I'll start off with the positives. What a teen expects from shows and movies regarding other teens is something that they can relate to. And once a teen (you know what, probably anyone, but mostly teens) finds a character that is exactly like them or that is going through the same trouble as them, feelings of comfort arouse and the pain of loneliness and/or sadness does decrease. Finding something that a teen can relate to makes the teen feel that they are definitely not alone and there is always some sort of hope out there. Relatable characters are very much seen as examples and are great motivators. What a teenager learns from the media can be beneficial as well. I feel that the media does a great job in showing how certain people solve the issues and problems that occur in life, and teens especially can apply these factors in their own lives. But of course, there's a plethora a negatives from what teens can learn from the media. Body image is definitely the manifest negative. The media always demonstrates how hot people should look and what to wear to look hot, which directly affects the thought of teens, because, well, which teen doesn't want to impress the opposite sex? Like I stated in my post about women, the expectations for what's hot and what's not and what's in and what's out are all filtered and processed through the media and ultimately greatly affects teens. The teens who don't and can't live up to these expectations portrayed by the media ultimately suffer by being made fun of (as this especially occurs within high school students). What's "in" doesn't only mean clothes and looks, but it can also mean the really bad aspects like drugs, smoking and alcohol. The drugs, smoking, and alcohol (partying hard) can sometimes be seen as a really "cool" thing in movies and TV shows (wait, and today's great music). I have witnessed this myself as I have seen so many teens show off how much booze they consumed in a party and weed they smoked that one day, and media plays a huge role in this. Why do these teens think all that is cool? Simply because it looks cool (sarcasm intended). A lot of the negatives are shown through the high school stereotypes brought about in movies like Mean Girls and shows like Glee. The populars, the jocks, and the nerds have all been shaped within the media. Overall, the media does have an immense role in teens and how teens see themselves and the environment around themselves.