When teens watch their favorite actors excessively drink and party, do you think that they will want to try and be like them? I believe that drinking is one thing that teens can do for themselves when trying to be like the super stars. Almost anyone can get a hold of some sort of liquor or beer from a family member or friend. When a teen watches Charlie Sheen from
Two and a Half Men drink every episode, they will get the idea that drinking really won't effect them very much. Teens then watch a movie such as
Beer Fest where the actors drink more beer than anyone could possibly drink without sever or lethal consequences. After having their minds altered by other shows where people excessively drink, they don't realize the risk they are taking but trying to attempt the impossible. The new web series on you tube called Epic Meal Time shows people how to make a meal that will get you drunk. This is available to any viewer and appeals to teens and young adults. If you want to get drunk why wouldn't you want to try something crazy you saw on the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDv9pgHp8Q
Even thought there are many ads out there that try to teach teens about the risk of drinking, do you really think a kid is going to listen to a boring ad over an exciting movie with there favorite actors that they look up too? Every year thousands of teen die from drinking too much because they do not know their limitations. The media does not show drinking limitations. Actors that are portrayed as the "Cool" guy usually do not show a negative response to drinking. Teens can only believe what they see an enjoy. Why would they want to think anything else? If he can do it i can do it.
Your absolutely right! Most of this content is appealing to the above 21 age group due to the dramatized reactions of actors in the Tv shows and movies, we think its funny or how it mimics some real life situations. Yet, to the underage drinker, that does not fully understand that drinking is an activity that like anything else in life, is meant to be enjoyed in moderation. Most adults see this kind of crazy behavior and try to counter this stimulation from the media by creating organizations such as MADD to help counter the influence from TV. But, the information comes from mothers. This has an inherent flaw; that the information is coming from a parent figure. While the Tv shows and movies present misinformation about drinking from 'cool and exciting' peers. If tv shows and movies would broadcast a message about what the effects of drinking did to people and that this 'should not be tried at home' the message would start to come across to underage drinker that it is not okay to over do drinking. As an example, if before the movie Beerfest, a short clip explaining how they show scenes in the movie where there is clearly enough alcoholic beverage being consumed to lethally injure or severely hurt someone, then the public would be at least aware of the situation and unconsciously know that there are severe risks to over drinking. That's just my opinion about one way to help battle the effects of tv and movies presenting drinking in media.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more! Teen shows like 90210, and Gossip Girl show these 20 year old characters going to bars, and having champagne or beer when they go out. Even the parents in these shows don't seem to realize that their kids are drinking underage. This representation gives teenagers the false illusion that if the stars on TV are drinking underage and getting away with it so easily, then it really must not be a big deal. I'd also like to bring up the fact that alcoholism is appearing more and more in the music we hear on the radio. Songs such as LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" and Breathe Carolina's "Blackout" encourage teens to want to drink until they, like the song title says, "blackout". Like DaveEd said, teens are going to listen, admire, and inspire to be like these stars, not like their parents or teachers who are trying to prevent them from drinking. To stop teens from drinking dangerous quantities there needs to be more representation of the dangers of alcohol poisoning in the media, and less encouraging their audience to lose control and "blackout".
ReplyDeleteGood points on the drinking in our day and age. Kids follow the lead of their favorite tv shows and actors that they admire. Then kids go to parties and try to be cool in front of other to drink unresponsibily and get hammered, like they see on the tevivised show that send a message of drinking. Now one is controlling what kids watch no a days, what ever t hey see on tv is what they will try to be like, when they gather around with friends. The only way to reduce such activities is to stop making shows that show drinking to our public.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Drinking and drugs are over glamorized in media. I do believe that there are negatives shown to everyone. But they never go so far as to showing someone dieing of alcohol poisoning. I believe if this became a popular thing in movies or other media the reprocussions wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately, movies like "The Hangover" tend to show a more glamorized view on getting drunk and blacking out. So glamorized, that I am sure teens, with no experience, think that something like that couldn't happen to them. It could and it could end up in a serious car accident, death, and a multitude of other things.
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