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As an avid watcher of popular television shows, I have noticed that the majority of television inaccurately portray teenagers. Shows like “Euphoria”, “Skins”, “Outer Banks” and “Ginny and Georgia” all have compelling plot lines, but are not always accurate with their characters’ descriptions and personalities.
“Euphoria” (2019)
“Euphoria” follows a group of teenagers navigating love and any other drama one can think of. I think as a whole, Euphoria represents teenagers the worst out of any other popular show. The characters, who range from age 17-18, are seen in basically every episode partying, drinking and fighting. I think the most inaccurate character is Maddy Perez, played by Alexa Demie. Maddy’s personality as a character is easily displayed through her dialogue, fashion choices, and body language. Since she is very irritable, she often finds herself in high-strung situations. Obviously her life is dramatized to keep viewers interested, but no teenager is as confrontational and disruptive as Maddy. Some of her outbursts make sense, because she has been hurt by her friends, but she also showed arguments out of nothing.
I think the most relatable character in this show is Cassie Howard played by Sydney Sweeney. Cassie’s character is mostly disliked by the fanbase, because of her bad decisions she makes throughout the show. However, these mistakes, like lashing out and wronging the people who care most about her are what makes her so accurate. Some of her negative behavior can be directly drawn back to her past. Her values, while often overshadowed by her best friend and family, can sometimes get warped and selfish. Cassie often lets her emotions and insecurities control her actions rather than logic, which is a very common trait in teenagers.
“Never Have I Ever” (2020)
“Never Have I Ever” follows teenager Devi Vishwakumar through all four of her high school years. In the first season, Devi is shown as a power hungry and hot headed girl who is desperate for popularity. Throughout the seasons, these aspects of her personality never really change. Similar to most teenagers, Devi is very impulsive and makes a plethora of bad decisions throughout the show. Although her flaws are irritating for those around her, they are pretty accurate as to how teenagers act. Devi’s character is also relatable to teens because of her past trauma, that being the death of her father prior to the show’s beginning. While Euphoria also deals with the loss of a parent, this show elaborates on it a lot more. As well as trouble with her now single-mother, Devi also struggles with friendships, romantic relationships and academic pressure, as do most high school students.
“Outer Banks” (2020)
“Outer Banks” is a show about a group of teens that try to find treasure related to the disappearance of the main character’s father. While this show is marketed mostly as a mystery/adventure show, the youthful theme to the show is still misguided. The characters are almost never seen going to school, and mostly seen hunting for treasure or outrunning the cops. Another odd thing about this show is that the actors look way too old to be playing high schoolers. While this does not affect the plot at all, it’s distracting when all the characters look like they are pushing thirty. As well as their appearance, they also do not really act like teenagers. Their priorities lie mostly in fighting crime rather than other obvious issues.
“Pen15” (2019)
Although “Pen15” is set in middle school rather than high school, I think it perfectly captures the awkward phase that every adolescent goes through. This is set in 2000, but I still find some similarities from experiences now in 2024. Pen15 is directed by Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle portraying their 13-year-old selves. The show follows Maya and Anna who have been best friends since elementary school and are starting to navigate 7th grade together.
Though the show is embarrassing and comical at times, it also covers some somber topics. Maya mostly struggles with her racial identity. She is Japanese-American and often feels disconnected from her culture, and like she doesn’t fit in. On the other hand, Anna has a lot of issues with her parents divorce. In many episodes they are seen fighting and eventually break the news to their daughter. Both girls struggle with self esteem and the overbearing need to be popular.
The most memorable episode shows the girls going on a weekend trip to Florida with Anna’s father. Anna and Maya go to the boardwalk and decide to have a caricature artist do a picture of them, as a way to remember their trip together. Much to their dismay, the picture has all of their insecurities exaggerated. Later in the episode, they get stood up by two boys they had met at the hotel’s pool. This makes them believe the reason they were ditched was because they were both too ugly. I think the fact that this episode was animated really highlights their innocence, and reminds the audience that both girls are still children, and don’t deserve what happens to them in this episode. The show ends in an emotional scene where the two promise to take care of each other in the future.
