The Actions of Tv Characters and Their “Effect” on Teenagers
The Actions of TV Characters and Their “Effect” on Teenagers If you walk into any psychiatrist’s or psychologist’s office today, you would find many teenagers waiting to see one. The teenagers are there for many reasons: to cope with the death of someone, bullying, abuse, an eating disorder, etc. However, the most common reason, as of late, is to get help dealing with an eating disorder or substance abuse as a minor. When asked how they even got started with these things in the first place, the teenager will often place the blame on something else, such as something in the media. The most frequent answer they will give is because they saw their favorite character on a TV show doing it, and they want to be just like them. But can you really blame a TV show for “giving you an eating disorder,” or “making you drink when you’re not of the age?”
Eating Disorders on Television Shows Modern society tells us that “beautiful” is thin. In order to be popular and have many friends, you must be skinny with an almost skeletal body. The females and males on modern TV shows, with their perfect skin and “perfect” bodies, only reinforce this stereotype, and many teenagers will do anything to achieve the body of their favorite television character. They will go to any lengths, whether it involves starving themselves, binging and purging, or even taking laxatives. Unfortunately, many TV shows have characters that do these things on the show and thus jumpstart the teenagers into doing the same things in order to be thin.
Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl Blair is a prime example of the thin, beautiful, popular girl. She is the leader of an elite clique on Gossip Girl, but she has a hidden secret— she binges and then purges to stay thin. With the exception of her mother and her on/off best friend Serena, (who is also extremely tall and thin but does not have an eating disorder) no one knows. Blair’s mother thinks that her daughter has overcome her issue, but in a
Eating Disorders on Television Shows Modern society tells us that “beautiful” is thin. In order to be popular and have many friends, you must be skinny with an almost skeletal body. The females and males on modern TV shows, with their perfect skin and “perfect” bodies, only reinforce this stereotype, and many teenagers will do anything to achieve the body of their favorite television character. They will go to any lengths, whether it involves starving themselves, binging and purging, or even taking laxatives. Unfortunately, many TV shows have characters that do these things on the show and thus jumpstart the teenagers into doing the same things in order to be thin.
Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl Blair is a prime example of the thin, beautiful, popular girl. She is the leader of an elite clique on Gossip Girl, but she has a hidden secret— she binges and then purges to stay thin. With the exception of her mother and her on/off best friend Serena, (who is also extremely tall and thin but does not have an eating disorder) no one knows. Blair’s mother thinks that her daughter has overcome her issue, but in a
Cited: 1. "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders -- Derenne and Beresin 30 (3): 257 -- Acad Psychiatry." Academic Psychiatry. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. . 2. "Focus Adolescent Services: Alcohol and Teen Drinking." Focus Adolescent Services: Help Your Teen and Heal Your Family. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. . 3. "TV 's Effect on Body Image." Associated Counselors & Therapists. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. . .