With the rise of social media, reliance on dopamine produced by digital media has become a standard in teenage life. Stress in high school can be overwhelming, often prompting teenagers to look to movies and television as a method of escape. The themes, characters, and concepts in movies can have a lasting psychological impact on viewers, prompting a need for concern over messaging catered towards younger audiences.
The influx in representation of mental health in movies and television is beneficial in many cases as it gives a voice to those who are often overlooked. However, if not done correctly, portraying mental illnesses and other personal issues can cause more harm rather than shed light on difficult situations.
The popular HBO series, “Euphoria,” sparked massive controversy surrounding whether it was an accurate representation of mental illness and drug addiction or if it romanticized such issues. Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E), released a statement, claiming the series glorifies drug addiction. While arguments for the advantages of exposing a younger audience to real world issues are valid, depicting a world that revels in substance use, abusive relationships and nihilism and labeling it “teen life” causes many teenagers to misunderstand the severity of sensitive issues and possibly normalize them in their own lives.
“There are a lot of shows that expose us to things that shouldn’t be normalized, some of them can get tiring,” Katie Tylecki (‘25) said.
Assimilating such ideas into the norms of teen life can happen because the messages frequently consumed in digital media have a psychological influence on people’s perception of the world. A study published in 2020 in the psychology journal “Behavioral Science,” found films have a positive impact on young viewers’ attitudes towards ideas and concepts present in them. For example, according to the American Psychological Association, viewing violence on television can result in increased aggression in adolescents and increased insensitivity surrounding the suffering of those around them.
Making an effort to surround oneself with media with positive messaging plays a crucial role fighting against the mental health issues that affect so many teenagers in 2023. Adolescence is a pivotal period of life, one that shouldn’t be marked by tragedy or sadness, but rather the joy of coming of age. Thus, greater emphasis on themes of optimism, happiness, and hope hold a rightful place in television and movies, especially those catered towards teenagers. Comedy, specifically, is found to have mental health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can weaken the effects of depression, stress and anxiety.
“I love watching comedy movies because it’s like a little pick-me-up,” Joelle Shen (‘25) said. “Whenever I need to reset, it’s easy to just put on something funny and relax.”