Teenagers In The Media. Assignment #2

I believe most media portrays today's teenagers pretty accurately, I disagree with some of the ways they do it but there is also some positive techniques on how they represent teenagers in the media. There is good and bad people in every age group, race, religion, background, everything has some good and bad, it is unfortunate that the "bad teenagers" put a damper on the way people look at all teenagers in general but certain aspects of media try to make them less.. frightening I guess you could say.

In a world where the understanding between adults and teens is lacking there are commercials that try to reach out to the older generation and explain to them how hard or frightening it is to be a teenager in 2009 rather than back in 1873.Take the commercials that show a teenager about to swing a bat into a car window but then the scene turns into him swinging in a baseball game. Teens today are faced with scary reality of gangs and are exposed to violence regularly this commercial explains that in some cases when teens are supported and exposed to something positive there is no need for acts such as breaking into a car. Another commercial that portrays teens in a good way is the one were it starts as a teen in a hoodie spray painting a wall then he heads home, walks in the door just looks at his mom, but then he goes to his sisters room opens up the drapes and reveals a inspirational message/beautiful drawing for her because she is battling cancer. This commercial shows people that some tags or "acts of vandalism" is considered a form of art for some teenagers, a way to express themselves. It is unfortunate some teens do break into cars or vandalize property but media today does a good job at trying to explain how in some teenagers there is a "bigger picture" behind their actions.

Even tho some portrayals of teenagers are negative that's OK because whether people want to admit it or not some teens are actually like that. Like I said before there are good and bad teens and programs like 16 and pregnant or like that girl dancing more slutty for the camera in Merchants of cool actually show what some are like. There are some young teenagers out there that are pregnant, some that dance slutty when they are at parties in order to impress guys, some do drugs, some fight. But then there are some teenagers that don't do drugs, are able to party without acting inappropriate, get good grades etc.
Some movies like High school musical portrays teenagers in a positive way, all tho we don't break out in random song and dance there are teenagers that have the time of their life in high school and are all about making it big in basketball or any other sport and some who are academically gifted and thrive to make honor rolls or compete in math competitions. High school musical also is realistic in showing the problems teenagers have in life, like not loosing your identity and/or friends on your way to success. Whether the media is showing teens in a negative or positive way I think they do a good job at portraying the real identity of teenagers today.

In my opinion all forms of media portray teenagers realistically, some good and some bad. It's not like they are saying every single girl out there dances slutty or every student out there is a good student, we just have to accept that some are like that. I don't believe media puts a bad reputation on teenagers, it's society that see's something then in turn chooses to believe that every teenager out there is like that.