“Jersey Shore” is an Adventure in Excessiveness

“Jersey Shore” has created a small group of “reality stars” that has taken reality television to another low, If the bar wasn’t already set low. MTV boasts this program is one of their most popular programs, and while MTV has constantly redefined youth, this program encourages the irresponsible and shallow behavior of young people. Four themes permeate each episode and parents should monitor the show’s impact on the immature teenagers in households because of the erroneous messages contained.

Excessive Drinking and Partying

What is the difference between an alcoholic and these young people? Watching the amount of alcohol consumed and their actions, one cannot wonder how many do have a substance abuse problem. When people consume large quantities of alcohol, the normal boundaries people hold sober, become blurred and lost. Placing the blame on the alcohol, we have witnessed inappropriate behaviors, arrests and fights. Excessive alcohol consumption is the cause, but the reason is the inability to have “fun” without a drink in one’s hand speaks volume about a society too dependent on alcohol for relaxation.

Young people watching this program are encouraged to party hard, drink excessively and the aftermath will be miraculously swept away the following day. In reality, many young people do drink in access and according to recent statistics underage drinking involves 26.4% (ages 12-20) and 17.4% of these drinkers binge drink. People forget in fatal crashes involving underage drinkers, 31% of these drivers were drunk, and too often an alcohol impaired teen will not use restraint, adding to the statistic of death and permanent injury.

Excessive Drama

Mistrust, fights, jealousy, anger, disrespect and rudeness fill each episode of Jersey Shores. Two people in the house, Ronnie and Sami have a tumultuous relationship that at its height had Ronnie smashing her possessions and she ran home in tears. Their relationship is unhealthy and encourages the continuance of destructive love without resolution of any issues. Jealous, insecure and immature, they lack trust, openness, respect and healthy commitment. Attempts at communication are hopeless because each is insistent on being right or having their way in the relationship.

Fights between house members are cruel and vicious and the drama hooks this young audiences. The language is excessively rude and profane from both men and women in the house. People forget that drama is an addiction as well, and perhaps the audiences would stop watching if the fights didn’t continue to be physical or verbal. A sad reality is the need for drama in so many people’s lives or they would not be addicted to these so-called reality shows.

Excessive Sex

When young people should be aware of the emotional and physical effects of casual sex, Jersey Shore portrays these young men, especially “The Situation” as sexual hunters. They constantly seek willing participants to take back to their house for sex and a sendoff in a taxi. Perhaps some of these young ladies are over eager caught up in the “excitement” of being with a “reality star” and agree. Sexual behavior without responsibility is a sublime message in Jersey Shores.

No messages about safe sex are given to the audience. Young men are encouraged to bed as many women possible, a new one every night if possible, and if not, a backup plan for attaining that romp in bed. Young people and parents must realize that 9.5 million STDs in 2009 were contacted by 15 to 24 year olds. Teen pregnancy is a reality with more than four-hundred thousand young women between 15 to 19 years old giving birth in 2009.

Role Models

The young people selected by MTV as role models for a young impressionable generation are some of the worse examples of youth in America. The young women have little self-respect for themselves in dress and language. Their actions of trying to find men, girls kissing for the thrill and their low cleavage send sensational but wrong messages to impressionable young women. If a young woman needs to use her body to attract a man, what sort of man is she attracting?

The young men are irresponsible riding the double standard of women they bed and the ones that are keepers. They propagate the tired mentality of good versus. bad girls and the shallowness of relationships. The other erroneous belief propagated is the “we are young and should enjoy ourselves,” which translates as remaining illiterate and irresponsible

The message MTV sends to young people is bad or irresponsible behavior is rewarded as the “careers” of each of these young people take off. Whether shows are “Jersey Shores” or “16 and Pregnant” or whatever the MTV flavor of the day is, MTV has an adverse impact on teenagers and young adults. The damage inflicted will only be recognized in later years, but for now reality television is a misguiding teacher to many.

http://www.sadd.org/stats.htm#underage

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811218.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/


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