Representations of Teenagers in the Media

If I were given the opportunity to create a media text I would create a movie about teenagers and what it’s really like. There have been a variety of television series and movies about teenagers and teen life, there are accurate parts but some just aren’t realistic. For example in the movie I Love You Beth Cooper, the nerd tells his crush, the popular girl at school, that he loves her very much even though she’d never spoken to her, this normally wouldn’t be so bad and could be realistic, except for the fact that he said this in front of an auditorium full of people while giving his valedictorian speech. This is very unrealistic because regardless of how hormonal or spontaneous you are, you would not risk that kind of “social suicide.” So with my media text I aim to make a movie that teenagers can genuinely relate to, I want them to say “oh that’s so me.” I know for a fact that when watching movies and tv series with my close friends and we can relate to a scene we can always enjoy it more, this is because we can say “that is something you would have done.” This is what I want to create.

I want to show true teen life, not everyone is a stereotype. The popular kids don’t party all night every weekend and don’t study, the smart kids don’t study every single night and never go out. There is always a balance. I know that my friends and I spend a considerable amount of time just hanging out in our rooms watching movies in sweats. However there are the weekends when we go to a major party, we get all dressed up and have a great time and we make memories. In regards to studying I want to show in the movie that the average student reviews about twice to three times a week, and only hard-core studies when there is a test or exam. My friends and I are notorious for the night-before cram session. This is all about the high school experience, the night-before cram session is practically a rite of passage that every teen must experience at some point. The wants of teens are simple: to get good grades without having to burn themselves out, party and have a good time without getting in trouble, to eat without getting fat. Those are very simple things that go through the average teen’s head on a daily basis. The basic fears of a teen are just the opposite: getting bad grades, not being able to attend a party because their parents say so, and of course getting fat. These are all things I want to show in my movie, this is true teen life.

The signs and symbols I would show in my film are as follows: Computers, televisions, smartphones, brand name clothing such as Hollister and Victoria’s Secret. I will also show a variety of popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.