Society gets their perception of teens from the media and they are seeing troubled teens such as, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus, who are creating a false image of teens and are overpowering the image of responsible teens that exist today. For instance, Kendall and Kylie Jenner were seen at a 21 and over club with their sister Kourtney Kardashian and her boyfriend Scott Disick. It was reported that they were misbehaving at a club that they should not have been at in the first place due to their ages of 18 and 16. A person that reported to Star Magazine said that Kendall and Kylie are not as responsible anymore when they said, “Kendall and Kylie were good, innocent girls, but all the negativity and fame surrounding their family has sent them over the edge. No one is there to supervise them and everyone is there to make them happy. It’s a recipe for disaster” (Shahid, “Kendall And Kylie Jenner Blast ‘Out Of Control Partying’ Rumours”). Society stereotypes teens as partiers and misbehaving individuals because they see misbehaving teens like Kendall and Kylie in the media. There are several focused teens that do not participate in partying or misbehaving, but they are not shown in the media. Society does not get to see the responsible teens because the misbehaving teens make for more interesting stories. It is unfair to the teens that are responsible to be labeled as “crazy teens” or “partiers” when they are truly focused people. Furthermore, Justin Bieber is another example of a teen star that represents teens in the irresponsible way. He was caught street racing and was arrested for drinking under the influence (DUI) on January 25, 2014. Sherrie Campell, the author of Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person, talks about teens being irresponsible when she says, “These kids get all this money and they stop feeling themselves so they act out and they act out until they get in trouble, almost in that they have to lose everything in order to experience what they have” (France, “Bieber’s Bad Behavior: We’ve Seen It before with Other Rich, Young Stars”). Justin Bieber is a teen that is addicted to fame and that has all the money that he could want. Society sees teens as people that are irresponsible and Justin Bieber is a contributor to that perception. He adds to the immature image that teens are plagued with. Many teens do not misbehave, but they are forced to live with this stereotype because society often only looks at the media. Bad, misbehaving teenagers are getting more publicity than those that behave. In conclusion, Miley Cyrus in February of 2011 has changed her image of innocent according to an article by Ruth Houston that says, “Lately Miley’s clothing and her performances have become more seductive and there are numerous reports of Miley doing some pretty wild things” (Houston, “Miley Cyrus a Bad Teen Role Model since Billy Ray Cyrus Filed for Divroce”). Miley, on top of being seductive, was seen doing drugs and drinking as well. She was previously a role model for young girls on her popular show Hannah Montana, but she has now become someone that parents do not want their children to see. Miley is another misbehaving teen in the media that is labeled as irresponsible and a bad role model. Again, society only sees the media of misbehaving teens and fails to see the true potential of teens. The media fails to report about the teens that are responsible which gives them the false stereotype of being irresponsible due to the actions of several troubled teen celebrities.
Works Cited:
France, Lisa Respers. “Bieber’s Bad Behavior: We’ve Seen It before with Other Rich, Young
Stars.” CNN. Cable News Network, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 May 2014.
Houston, Ruth. “Miley Cyrus a Bad Teen Role Model since Billy Ray Cyrus Filed for Divorce.”
Examiner.com. AXS Network, 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 May 2014.
Shahid, Sharnaz. “Kendall And Kylie Jenner Blast ‘Out Of Control Partying’ Rumours.”
EntertainmentWise. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 May 2014.
France, Lisa Respers. “Bieber’s Bad Behavior: We’ve Seen It before with Other Rich, Young
Stars.” CNN. Cable News Network, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 May 2014.
Houston, Ruth. “Miley Cyrus a Bad Teen Role Model since Billy Ray Cyrus Filed for Divorce.”
Examiner.com. AXS Network, 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 May 2014.
Shahid, Sharnaz. “Kendall And Kylie Jenner Blast ‘Out Of Control Partying’ Rumours.”
EntertainmentWise. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 May 2014.