Prematurely Grown: The Detrimental Effects of Media’s Teenage Adultification

The adultification of teenagers in the media has become an increasingly controversial topic. From Pretty Little Liars (2010), where a lead character was portrayed in a sexual relationship with her professor, to Euphoria (2022), which contains an extensive amount of teen drug abuse and sex scenes that serve no purpose for the plot. The unnecessary sexualization of teenagers has become increasingly pervasive in the media- whether it be television shows, movies, music videos, or advertisements. This is a problem that reaches beyond the TV screen. Society has become accustomed to sexualizing teenagers. The media has a striking influence on society as a whole, and teenagers are especially vulnerable to the messages the media sends. This issue is so prevalent in society today, yet close to nothing is done to prevent it. According to 2020 Deseret News report, grade school children could take in as many as 80,000 ‘sexy girl’ portrayals while watching kid targeted TV programs in just one year. This prompts one to consider, “What are the future implications of adultification of teenagers in the media?” Based on the available evidence, it is clear that the adultification of teenagers in the media will cause negative physical and psychological implications on teenagers in the future. Repeatedly seeing sexualizing content in the media alters the values and priorities of the easily influenced teenagers. After that, teenagers change their appearance management behaviours and beliefs to fit expectations projected by the media. And finally, teenagers seek out more media that reflects their newly acquired values.

The media is a powerful force in the lives of teenagers and has a profound impact on their attitudes and behaviors. The great susceptibility of teenagers to outside influence is what makes media so impactful to them. Teens are particularly susceptible to this influence because they’re in a period of transition between childhood and adulthood and are navigating the process of defining their own identities. As a result, they’re particularly open to the messages and images they encounter in the media. A study on age-related differences in social influence on risk perception in 2017 by Epub researchers says, “Adolescents make decisions in the pursuit of social acceptance and avoidance of social exclusion.” It can be argued that simply depriving the teenager of the internet and any type of media would eliminate any potential negative impacts, but this solution is flawed as it is unrealistic. With or without the internet, the media is embedded into almost every aspect of one’s daily life. The radio in the car, posters at the bus stop, light up signs at the mall, and magazines in the house are all examples of media- most of the time, one does not even realize that they are consuming media. However in a hypothetical world where depriving someone of media access was possible, they would still be susceptible to the influence of the media’s messages. The same study shows that teenagers are extremely likely to be influenced by their peers: “Heightened peer influence is partly due to adolescents being hypersensitive to peer rejection and possibly also to social approval,”- which raises the possibility that even a teenager with no access to the media can still be impacted by its messages. As long as they spend time around peers who are exposed to the media, it is likely that they will follow the trends reflected on their peers without knowing what the source of them are. 

Furthermore, teenagers often alter their appearance management behaviours and beliefs to fit those projected by the media. The media is constantly bombarding teenagers with unrealistic images of beauty, success, and perfection, leading them to believe that these standards are attainable- and the effects are both physical and mental. It creates a false image of what is considered attractive, painting a picture of what is beautiful and desirable. APA Task Force report shows that girls are more often than boys portrayed in a sexual manner , and it usually includes images of thin, toned, and seductive models dressed in skimpy clothing. Boys on the other hand, are taught that being strong and stoic is what it means to be a “true man”. The television shows they watch growing up such as Superman and The Hulk always portray the muscular superhero going through farfetched scenarios without breaking a sweat or showing emotion. The idea that female attractiveness is related to skimpy ideals and that male attractiveness is linked to muscular ideals is perpetuated. On the mental level, there is a false idea of what being popular is. In television, toys, and video games, boys are always rewarded for aggression and violence, whereas girls are rewarded for being compliant and ladylike. This standard is already set at the young ages where boys play with toy soldiers and nerf guns while girls play “house” and tea parties. As a result of both physical and mental factors girls sexualize themselves in hopes of being popular, and boys treat the girls with aggression with the same goal- and the girls do nothing to defend themselves as they have been taught to be compliant.

Teenagers unknowingly support the production of these toxic messages by seeking out more media that reflects their newly acquired values. A University of Pennsylvania study on decision making biases shows that “humans naturally have an inclination to seek out information that confirms existing beliefs.” This is known as confirmation bias and is a tendency that is seen across all age groups. The 2017 Epub study mentioned previously also adds that teenagers are increasingly prone to this behavior due to their lack of life experience and the fact that their beliefs are yet to be fully formed. This means that they are more likely to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and avoid content that challenges them. So while they seek out more of this sexualized content, they actively support the corruption in the companies producing it. By using adult actors to play teenagers, media companies are presenting a false image of teenage life and reinforcing the idea that teenagers should be treated as sexual objects. This can even lead to teenagers being seen as objects of desire by adults and can potentially lead to exploitation and abuse. Media companies are aware of this yet they continue to have adults play teenage roles to escape any ethical concerns when they’re required to act in sexual contexts. Society’s ignorance and the support of the morally confused teenagers prompt these companies to continue what they are doing.

To conclude, all rows of evidence show that the adultification of teenagers in the media causes detrimental physical and psychological implications in the future. Repeatedly seeing sexualizing content in the media affects the values and priorities of the susceptible teenagers. Teenagers then change their appearance management behaviours and beliefs to fit the unrealistic expectations projected by the media, whilst seeking out more of that media. The aforementioned research dive into a deeper look of the adultification of teenagers in the media, however focusing only on a portion of the overarching issue. It is important to talk to teenagers about the message the media is sending about sexuality, and to make sure they understand the consequences of engaging in the behaviors portrayed. Parents and educators must also work together to create a safe space for teenagers to talk about their concerns and to develop healthy relationships with their peers.