Teens Being Played By Adults & The Psychological Implications
We all know that life is difficult beyond explanation for teens, and the media certainly does not help.
When we are young we look to TV and other such media sources to gain an understanding of the world. When we’re children we watch movies and cartoons which teach us about love, values, family, and more. As we get a little older we begin to watch TV shows which give us a glimpse into the future, painting a picture of what high school and adolescents will look like.
We long to be “grown up” like the people we see in our shows. Yet somehow, once we reach high school we still feel like that confused little kid, wondering if we somehow skipped that growing up stage altogether. As it turns out, high school boys do not have six-pack abs and a sexy disposition, they have pimples and ill-fitting, boxy t-shirts. High school girls do not wear heels to school every day and park their Porsches in front of high school each morning. They have poorly fitted bras, too much foundation, and not a shred of the confidence the TV girls do. The “awkward stage” lasts a whole lot longer than we’d like to admit.
Do you feel like you just glossed over growing up and that you’re still “faking it ’till you make it?”
You’re not alone! TV makes us feel like we are one hundred steps behind where we should be at any given age/stage. Teen Vogue thinks this might just be on account of the fact that teens are played by full-on adults on TV (beautiful, flawless adults might we add).
In their recent article, they explore the psychological implications of teens being played by adults, and we would love to share it with you:
