Teen Dramas- Are they bad? | Teen Ink

Teen Dramas- Are they bad?

December 6, 2008
By Anonymous

As I flip the TV channel anxiously on a Monday night, I bet that almost every teen is doing the same exact thing. I am waiting for the latest episode of the ultra glamorous TV series, Gossip Girl. Like many teens, I'm completely addicted to this attention grabbing series. The stylish designer outfits, glamorous Upper East Side, gorgeous guys, and alluring plots have hooked millions of teens to this racy drama. But many adults and professionals wonder: Is the show too graphic for their children? Is it too controversial? But, I (and other teens) argue: Why shouldn't their children be exposed to some issues that real teens go through?

I think that teenagers have a right to watch shows like Gossip Girl. Some of the things showed in this show are things that happen in real life. Many teenagers drink underage, question their sexuality, and have sexual activities before marriage. This is not unusual. It’s called reality.
Adults do not want to their children to see these things, but in truth, these things happen in their teenagers’ lives, whether they are directly or indirectly exposed to it. I do not believe that shows are the reason for teenage sex, underage drinking, smoking, etc. These are just issues that happen naturally, not because a show is ‘promoting it’. In addition, Chace Crawford, who plays Nate Archibald on Gossip Girl has said that the show is not, “making an instruction manual telling [teens] how to drink and do drugs, or have sex. We're just laying out how it is.” This is the problem: adults are oblivious that their teens know about these things, and they are trying to ‘protect them’ from getting exposed to it. But in reality, commercials and ads all around their precious teenagers display some of these issues, mostly promoting them. Adults should not blame TV shows as the reason. Adults need to teach their kids about these problems and they need to realize that it’s many factors that lead their teens to smoke, drink, have sex, and more.
In some ways, these shows portray some of these issues as a bad thing, rather than a good thing. For example, in season 1 of Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) thinks that she is pregnant after she had sex with two guys. In this episode, Blair is confused and regrets her decisions. However, some professionals argue that shows like these promote that sex and drinking are glamorous. New studies that were conducted showed that teenage girls had a better chance of becoming pregnant because of watching racy dramas. Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist says, “Risqué TV watching was closely linked with pregnancies even when other factors such as grades, family structure and parents' education level were considered.” Some professionals suggest that TV as well as other factors play a part in teen sexual activity.
So, if you are a big Gossip Girl fan like me who is allowed to watch the show, remind yourselves that a show is purely for entertainment and fun. There are many reasons besides watching shows that push people to do unsafe things.


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This article has 3 comments.


on Jul. 18 2013 at 8:47 pm
XOBookishXO BRONZE, Boca Raton, Florida
1 article 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." ~ William Shakespeare

I agree with you. I don't think TV is the main cause of these problems. These are real issues in teenagers lives. If the adults want to believe it or not, is their choice, but they shouldn't blame these issues on the shows their children watch. 

on Apr. 19 2010 at 10:55 pm
songofheaven BRONZE, East Amherst, New York
2 articles 2 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
I have found power in the mysteries of thought. -Euripides

I do a lot of things that people would consider to be nerdy. I read for fun, I play guitar, I listen to classic rock for hours on end...and I am not allowed to watch Gossip Girl, or Secret Life, or even Glee. And to be honest, I don't really care. Watching stuff like that is kind of a waste of time to me. I am not saying you can't watch Gossip Girl at all, but I am only saying that I choose not to. I already have a good grip on reality. I probably know more about what people go through around the world than any person in my school. And I do not attribute that knowledge to television. I have spent a good portion of my life reading, and that has made me all the stronger.

on Feb. 7 2009 at 12:33 am
I have no problem when teen reality is being portrayed on TV. The problem is I often see ONE type reality of teens being portrayed on teen movies/sitcoms, the type that deals with sex, drugs, underage drinking, partying. What happened to showing the reality, of the hard working, studious teen, who joins school clubs, care about making a difference in the world?

The only time I see this type of teen being dipicted on Tv, is when he/she is considered "the nerd" who is in desperate need of "change" in order to fit in with their more popular counterparts, or get a date.

I suspect the reason why they don't make a sure with this type of teen character is that it would be "boring", and most teens and adults are interested in excitement and drama. But yet this is a teen reality that is so underplayed in the media. I would like to see teens being portrayed in a more positive light, rather than the stereotypical reputations that they get on TV/movies, because they're are teens like me, who care about real world issues, and reject the stereotypical teen image.