TEENAGE STEREOTYPING IN FILMS AND TV SHOWS!

          When you sit down to watch a movie or TV show about real life events happening to teenagers, you think it will some what be like something that is occurring in your own life. In reality, teenagers that are portrayed in these movies and TV shows are not true "real life" characters. When you think of yourself as a teenager, and your teenage friends, you may think that you are nothing like the popular teen on your favourite TV show. Teens can be seen as "irresponsible, loud, disrespectful" people on television and in movies, but in real life, the majority of teenagers are not like that. 


          There are a variety of different "groups" within the teenage society. When walking through a school, you can definitely see the variety of "groups" or personality's that hang out together. There's always the jocks, the populars, the nerds, the normals, etc. When they are portrayed in movies, they are always portrayed differently then we see in the real world. At my school, I know that yes, the popular people might be "cooler" or have more friends, but they are actually nice, and aren't rude towards people who might be less popular. In movies and TV shows the "popular" person is always portrayed to be rude, disrespectful and even "weirded out" by the people who are less popular, because it's seen as "uncool." When teens watch these movies and shows, they believe that that's the way to act towards people. There are a few "snobs" that do not have anything to do with people who are lower in status than them. It's actually quite sad because you can take a "normal" person, who still has lots of friends and put them all in a class together. You take one "popular" person and put them in a class with people "lower" than them, and what can they do about it. Nothing really. In that situation, they are "lower" because they don't have any friends in that class.


          A GREAT example of a movie that stereotypes teenagers, is The Breakfast Club. When those five teenagers are put into detention together, you can definitely see how they differ. When teens watch movies like this they get the feeling that they must fit into one of those characters shoes. They may sit there and watch the movie and try to figure out, who in the movie they are supposed to be. In reality, they may not fit with any one of those characters but, the movie gives an example and five stereotypes that make teens believe that they MUST fit. 


          An example of  TV show that stereotypes teenagers is The Life Of An American Teenager. In this show, a lot of what goes on has to deal with pregnancy. They stereotype that every teen out there is having sex, and not staying protected. The main character, who seems like a "good girl" gets pregnant, with a "popular guy" at band camp. It doesn't seem like something that would happen in real life. Yes, maybe there are some teens out there that are having sex, and maybe possibly getting pregnant, but its not like its a daily thing. TV shows that show teens getting pregnant and going to school, to continue getting education and having their parents deal with the fact their daughter is pregnant, can cause conflicts with real life teens. I do, however, feel that this show does do an AMAZING job related to teens lives. Sure, it does stereotype but, what show doesn't ? Pregnancy does occur and sometimes to people who you don't expect it to. I love to watch this show because it does in someway relate to my life. Not that I'm pregnant, but the stresses of teen lives is portrayed in this show, which is one of the reasons why it is so popular. 


          Teens television shows and movies do have an influence on the way teens see themselves and other teens around them. It is important to know that not all the things seen on TV are true about teenagers. Some older people might see a show or movie with a teen portrayed as a "loud, obnoxious, irresponsible" person, and may start to believe that all teenagers are like that, but we as teenagers know that it is definitely NOT true. We are who we are, but the people on TV aren't us. If you want to know a real teenager, don't watch a TV show to see how they are portrayed because when you meet someone "real" you will be surprised by who they are compared to the person you thought they would be. 

STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AS A TEEN! :)

PRIVACY AND NEW MEDIA !

          Privacy is something that we all think we have, but in reality we really don't. When you go online, nothing is private. Everything you do is basically being watched. You may post something on Facebook about someone else who isn't a "friend" and think they will never see it, but guess again because in one way or another, that person has some pretty good chances of seeing it. Once you upload a picture to the internet, you have no choice on where it goes. Some pictures you upload can be moved to another site and before you know it, it could be everywhere. Some people really don't recognize the consequences that this could lead to, and some can be pretty serious. 


           When you upload something online, it's on there forever. This could ruin a lot of future plans in your life. A picture of you at a party, with people drinking in the background, even if YOUR NOT drinking, could lead to job loss, or even not being able to obtain a job. Some things online could also lead to the police being involved. For instance, you upload a status/picture of bullying someone. People comment to make fun, and laugh at it, and when one person stands up and says its wrong, you "delete it." You may think it's deleted, but thats an assumption. People could have moved it to another place, and when that person sees how they are being treated or "made fun of" they can go to the school to find the person who uploaded the picture/status. It is bullying and bullying is NOT tolerated therefore, serious consequences would be faced and possibly even police involvement. 


          As a teenager, you may think that what you upload now will never be seen again, but in reality you may want to rethink that. Everything uploaded onto the internet can be seen again.  It's important to be careful and think about what your posting on the internet because you don't want things like "drunk" pictures to come back in the future and ruin your chances of getting a job. This link leads to an article of a teacher getting fired for having a picture on Facebook involving alcohol. Is it really that wrong for teachers to drink alcohol outside of school ? or to have a Facebook page with privacy settings that their students would not be able to see ? I feel in my opinion there is nothing wrong with that. Lets see what you think: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/06/sunday/main7323148.shtml?tag=stack

           There are also many really important issues that surround privacy and the internet. Not only when you post something online can you be tracked, but even if you shop online or prescribe to a magazine, your personal information is out there. The information that you give out for online shopping can be given to other companies, even if the privacy policy states that it can't be. It is important to read over the privacy policy before joining any site. If you decide that you want to join and be at risk for your information being given out, thats your choice. You make that decision, then you also face the consequences that come with it. 

          We all have those stories or secrets that we keep to ourselves and don't want others to find out. We either keep them to ourselves, or tell our best friend who we trust we anything. Sometimes, however, those secrets get released and almost always end up being posted on the internet. You see that on Facebook or somewhere else on the internet and basically have a huge freakout because that one secret that you told your best friend is now something that everyone can see. You might have thought it was a secret and you had the privacy to that secret but, now its known that nothings private. People can find out things about you that you may not have even known about yourself. Privacy is a huge problem because we know longer have the privacy that we wished we had. REMEMBER to think before accepting or joining anything and to make decisions that won't hurt you in the future! 

MEDIA VS. BODY IMAGE

          When we look at media, there are so many things involved that make us think about the way we look. Commercials, ads, products, models, etc. that all have a huge impact on the way we see ourselves. When teens look at themselves, some see a beautiful, young, healthy person, others see some not so good features about themselves. For examples, anorexics, who look in the mirror and see a bigger person, when in reality they are very, very thin. The media changes the way people look at themselves and lowers the confidence levels of teens everywhere. When teens look at magazines, or at television commercials, they see models that could be a size "0" in clothing and start to believe that's how thin they should be. Media changes people's opinions about themselves.


          ADVERTISING! Advertising is a HUGE factor for media affecting teens and their body images. Advertising is everywhere. You can look anywhere and always see ads, especially ones that affect teens and body image. When you look at ads, you can usually see the pattern that they have. The models that are in these ads, always seem to be tall, and thin ; very, very thin. When teenagers look at ads like these, it makes them feel like they HAVE to look this way. In reality, nobody looks that way. Photo-shopping can work magic when using it to make someone the perfect size and give them "the look." I know that for me, I'm not the "perfect" size, but seeing those models and how so many people try so hard to be like them, it somewhat makes me feel good because I know that I am at least healthy. At the same time, it makes me feel that I don't have the right look, and nobody will take a second look at me because I don't look like a model. Advertising does that to teens. Sometimes you can find a positive to the ad, but most of the time, its all negatives.


          TELEVISION! Television also has a lot of responsibility for the way teenagers see themselves as well. Shows that are on TV, along with the ads always portray the "perfect" person. Although some shows really show a reliable example of what life for teenagers is really like. I recall watching The Tyra Banks Show, and she was discussing body image and how the media affects the way, women especially, see themselves. A lot of the teen shows out there portray a body image that many people don't have and when they see those shows they feel worse about themselves. When teenagers look at themselves, in my opinion, they should be able to feel good about the way they look. Television shows should have characters with all types of backgrounds, and looks, not just the "perfect" person. Television has a huge impact on the way teens see themselves.

         Body Image may not seem like a big deal to most people, but when teenagers look at themselves in the mirror, usually teenage girls,  they usually do not see the person they actually are. They see someone other themselves and since TV shows, and advertisements portray the "perfect" person, that teenager doesn't feel good enough and they try to be someone they're not. The media only shows people who look like super models. If you ever really look at advertisements shown on television, you only see thin model looking people, not people who are actually normal size. 

          The media has a huge impact on the way teens see themselves and sometimes not even just teens. I feel that everyone should be happy in their own body, whether it be skinny, or more athletic, tall or short, everyone should feel comfortable. The media should show all different body types on television, in advertisements and even in movies, to show the world that people are built in all shapes and sizes. The majority of the world does not look the way any models actually do. As the image says above "there are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do." People shouldn't be afraid to be who they are and not have to change that. For some words of advice - BE WHO YOU ARE AND DON'T BE AFRAID OF WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU. Nobodies perfect, and you are who you are, so be proud! :) 


~ Follow the link to read more about Body Image : 
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cf


~ To read about some body image stories ; click the link : 
http://www.helium.com/knowledge/138215-short-stories-body-image

CYBER BULLYING !

       Bullying can not only be verbal, or physical, it can also be over the internet. Bullying occurs when the "bully" wants to feel better about themselves and put the "victim" down. Nearly 42% of kids have been bullied online and one in four have had it happen more than once! Bullying on the internet allows the bully to hide and say whatever they want, even with a disguise. I know what it's like to be bullied and I think everyone has, but it's even worse when it happens online because you don't know who is saying it. It could be your best friend - saying something that they've wanted to say to you for a long time - hiding behind the computer screen, disguised  as a teenage boy.

          Bullying may only start with a few comments that may not seem so harmful, but can actually lead to some serious problems. Teenagers have committed suicide over something such as cyber bullying. SUICIDE! Some people don't see how dangerous bullying is. It can seriously affect people and they may never see themselves the same way again. Calling some one "fat" or even "anorexic" can hurt them and make them feel horrible about themselves.  


          Sometimes the worse part isn't even what the bully is doing. The people who sit there, look at their computers and laugh about it, are just as a part of the bullying, as the actual bully is. Some people may not realize that the statements being made are that bad, but they almost always end up hurting someone. For a peer, or even a friend to not go to an adult or teacher about some of the things being said is pretty low. 58% of teens who are cyber bullied don't tell their parents that it's happened. 

          The media does have a huge impact on how people see themselves and perhaps others and yes, maybe the internet has caused problems including cyber bullying. However, bullying was around way before internet. Kids don't need the internet or other media sources to make people feel bad. We can't blame the media for the way we ourselves, or our kids get treated. Many people feel that the internet is the problem, and that may be part of it, but kids are still going to treat people the way they want. If they dislike someone, there is a good chance they are going to treat them with no respect, which is not right in my opinion but, that's the way our society works. 


          Cyber Bullying is a huge problem that allows kids to put others down, or to ruin their reputation and it needs to stop! People need to put themselves in the victim's shoes and realize that they wouldn't want it happening to them. If their reputation got ruined, what would they do? How would they react to getting bullied the way they bullied others? They probably wouldn't like it that much, I mean no one would but, that is how bullying works. They bully only thinks about themselves and how they feel after. They don't care about the victim and their feelings. They feel comfortable posting something online (Facebook, Myspace etc.) making fun of someone because they feel they won't get caught. That's definitely not the case. It's important to stand up to bullying and report any bullying incidents that you yourself find online to make sure people are getting the respect they deserve! STAND UP 


~ Read bullying stories ~
http://familyinternet.about.com/u/ua/computingsafetyprivacy/Cyberbullyua.htm

~ Read Ryan's Story ~ 
http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/index.htm

SOCIAL NETWORKING !

          When it comes to Facebook, MSN and other social networking sites, they have all sorts of people on them. In Canada alone, there are 16,632,560 total Facebook users. This does raise the point that we have less human contact. I feel that yes, we as humans spend a lot of time online talking to people instead of actually going to them to have a conversation. Online networking does have its positives and its negatives, but overall,  does mean less human contact and not as much time spent outdoors. 


         
           The positives of having social networking sites such as Facebook, MSN, Twitter and etc. are that they allow you to keep in touch with old friends and family. For example, if you have a really close friend who moves away and there is no opportunity to for you to see them when you want to, networking sites are available to keep in touch with them. I know that growing up, I had a really close friend who I loved spending time with. When she moved away with her family, I hated the fact I wouldn't be able to see her. I'm so happy that we can keep in contact via Facebook because it's better than having no contact at all. Another positive about social networks are that now it is possible to have privacy. On sites like Facebook and Myspace, you have the ability to "block" your profiles and choose who views it. When they are searching a person, they may only be able to see their name, picture and their gender, because the person has blocked what they see. 

          
          Although there are some positives to networking sites, there are also some negatives. Networking sites send spam and it's very hard to get rid of. When you subscribed to a networking site using your email, spam messages can and probably will get sent to your email. These spam messages can also cause viruses to your computers which causes some serious problems. Another negative to using social networking sites are that there are online predators out there. Just because you start talking to someone online and see a "cute" picture of them, or someone they are  trying to be, doesn't mean its necessarily them. There are people out there who search for people as their "targets," to try to get close to and get the chance to meet. When people agree to meeting people they don't know, things can happen that can be very dangerous and scary.  


          In my personal opinion I feel that some social networking sites are not the greatest thing to be a part of. I know that I do used MSN, Facebook, etc. but, don't go out meeting / adding people that I don't know. I believe that it is very scary and wrong for people to be talking to strangers. I also know that for my Facebook profile, everything is blocked because I don't want "creepers" looking at my profile and knowing everything about me. I have it set so only people who are my "friends" on Facebook, can read the information about me. I do know the negatives of having sites like this but, I still am very active and enjoy being outside. I'm not the type of person to sit on the computer all day because it's just not as enjoyable as going out and hanging out with my friends or doing activities/sports. 


          Social networking does cause problems but, in my opinion, it's your own choice what sites you use. I do feel that some people spend way to much time in front of the computer and not getting out and in reality our society doesn't need to leave the house anymore. All that I know is that for me, I choose to not spend hours and hours at a time in front of the computer. I enjoy being outside and actually meeting up with friends. The new media that continues to come out in the future will cause more and more people to be spending time in front of the computer screen but, it's important for people to realize what they love to do and make sure they continue doing it, like a sport. The Internet is there and probably always will be but, it doesn't mean we need to be on it 24/7 meeting strangers or creeping other people. Facebook, MSN and other social networks have their positives and their negatives, but either way should be used in the most useful ways possible. 

To read more about social networking , follow the link below :
http://the-social-networking-articles.blogspot.com/