The Importance of Accurate Adolescent Representation in Entertainment

Lady Bird and her friend Julie from Lady Bird

The Grammys are done and the country is waiting for the Oscar Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmys to finally arrive. The best in the Hollywood industry walk up to the big stage to receive their trophy, give out heartfelt speeches, and give thanks for another successful year. Yet somehow, 2025 consisted of little to no accurate teen portrayal in most of their entertainment. The coming of age genre is widely favored by teenagers and adults alike, portraying a fun, and imaginary plot along with attractive and desirable looking characters. The problem though, is when things become too far-fetched and misrepresentative that affects how the youth views themselves as individuals and as a group.

For many teenagers now, things get awkward when they’re watching a movie with a person in their mid-twenties acting like a 16-year-old. It’s unrealistic. Constantly seeing a ‘perfect’ and flawless actor pretending to be a high schooler gets old and sets expectations for the youth that watch these films. Most of the time, coming of age entertainment creates highly improbable situations or exaggerates what coming of age actually is. A group of teenagers won’t find themselves on the run trying to find a giant gold cross like Outer Banks. They most likely won’t be caught in a love triangle between two brothers after spending each year at the same beach like The Summer I Turned Pretty nor will girls be threatened by an anonymous messenger after the disappearance of a friend like Pretty Little Liars. More often than not, many teenagers are uncomfortable with the exaggerated sex scenes and sneaking out just to do drugs and get into trouble. It’s fiction, yes, but still imperfect and misrepresents younger generations.

One of the many issues of this genre lie with the fact that none of the actors seem to have any insecurities. Or at least they’re not portrayed correctly. Body image and body dysmorphia, acne or skin issues, scars across the body, relationship problems or not being in a relationship at all are very normal for teenagers. But Hollywood seems to have deemed it all as a taboo subject in entertainment. Using popular and attractive actors who look appealing to younger (and older) generations is a tactic used to boost money and views. The industry doesn’t really hire people who are unknown, people of color, or anyone who might not be conventionally attractive and continue to reuse the same actors for movies. Popular names like McKenna Grace, Milly Bobby Brown, Timothée Chalamet, Mason Thames, and Finn Wolfhard (to name a few) are quite talented in acting. They have become some of the biggest faces in coming of age films but are seemingly everywhere, leaving no room for fresh talent or variability in the acting industry. According to PBS, “Only two out of every 10 lead film actors (or 19.8 percent) were people of color in 2017.” Although the numbers may be somewhat promising, viewers can’t get a sense of diversity in films, especially those who need that accurate portrayal. 

Not only is representation important in physical aspects, but also personality wise. Films often put a label on teenage characters, many of them being the same shallow misrepresentation of the unique people of the youth. “These stereotypes are being used to box teenagers in without offering depth: the jock that has feelings, the bad boy with a painful childhood, the goody-two-shoes virgin, the airhead cheerleader.” (The Seattle Times) By confining adolescence into stereotypes and glorifying other aspects distorts teenage reality affects actual teenagers across all ages. Parents and older adults who watch these films can perceive these characters negatively and can assume that all teenagers may act in certain ways based on entertainment. “Experiences like high schoolers partying and drinking during the week, or committing serious crimes at a young age are heavily exaggerated.” (The Daily Hawk)

However, contrary to some of the inaccurate depictions of teenage life, some entertainment hits pretty close to what being an adolescent is like. Even if the actors aren’t quite within the age range, the plot itself can reflect reality. Napoleon Dynamite showcases the cringe worthy parts of high school, especially relating to the awkward and introverted people like the main character. Other movies like Five Feet Apart and The Fault In Our Stars grapple with unique situations and growing up in a short time in the midst of figuring out how to handle grief and trauma. TV shows such as 13 Reasons Why portray some of the toughest parts about coming of age, focusing on the unspoken parts about a person and the consequences of certain actions.

Over the years, the film industry has been slowly producing less teenage accurate entertainment and opting for more kid-friendly animation or an oversaturated version of what adolescence is. The lives of the youth that have been portrayed today compared to 10 years ago are completely different and the messages hidden within have changed. Whether or not upcoming movies depict teenagers better is unknown, but some aspects stay the same. Being a teenager is messy and providing authentic representation is important.