Teenage Drinking in Pop Culture

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One only needs to change the tv to the CW channel, go see the latest teen movie, or even glance over the shelves in the alcohol section of the grocery store to be inundated with messages promoting underage drinking. In today's society, depictions of teenagers drinking has become the norm, and there's even been talk about lowering the drinking age back to 18. However, it doesn't seem like teens, even those younger than 18 and still in high school, have any problems attaining alcohol to begin with. Older friends and family are often very willing and ready to buy alcohol for those who are underage. Of course, another way teens acquire alcohol is by raiding their parents' own fridges or liquor cabinets. But no matter how teens acquire alcohol, drinking at a young age can sometimes be a catalyst for a lifelong pattern of drinking. Getting into the habit of drinking while still young, especially if the drinking is heavy, can greatly up the risk of developing a problem with alcohol later on in life. Sometimes these underage drinkers simply never learn to control themselves, and go through high school, college, and young adulthood with a serious drinking problem. Such a problem deserves the proper treatment in an alcohol and drug addiction recovery center like Mark Houston Recovery. We help men overcome their addiction to alcohol and go on to lead healthy, sober lives.

Pop Culture and Underage Drinking

Depictions of teenagers drinking in pop culture are rampant. The popular tv show among teens, "Gossip Girl," glorifies underage drinking with multiple scenes of teenagers drinking (along with doing drugs and having graphic sex) having been aired in just the first season. Other shows like "The Hills" and "One Tree Hill" also feature scenes with teens drinking, as did more popular shows from past years like "Dawson's Creek" and "Beverly Hills, 90210." And the teen drinking isn't limited to tv shows; movies with large teenage audiences like the "American Pie" series along with the more recent hit "Superbad" also depict teens drinking and partying. And teens only need to glance at the tabloids in the grocery stores to see young women "role models" constantly arrested or in trouble for drinking and DUI arrests.

Helping Stop Teenage Drinking

So what's the solution? We can't keep an eye on our kids all the time. We can monitor what they watch at home, and tell them not to watch certain tv shows and movies, but realistically, they're probably not going to listen. And we're not able to know what they watch when they're hanging out with friends. Our duties as parents are not to be so strict and overbearing that we monitor our kids' exposure to pop culture, because pop culture's portrayals of underage drinking will always be around. The key is to have open discussions with our children about alcohol and drugs. The emphasis here should be placed on conscientious parenting, not overprotective pop culture censoring. By educating our kids about the harms of underage drinking, they will be better informed and hopefully make the right decisions. If you're the parent of a teenage son whose drinking has gotten out of control, or began drinking at a young age yourself and now are a man struggling with alcoholism, the Mark Houston Recovery Center can help. Don't delay - contact us today and have us help you begin a life free from alcohol addiction.