In an age where technology and the internet are driving forces for social development and change, TV shows and movies have massive impacts on adolescents.
According to a study from the University of California, Los Angeles, 56.7% of adolescents between ages 10-24 prefer watching TV shows or movies over using social media.
By casting actors who are young, thin and conventionally attractive, the entertainment industry creates a norm to be desired and replicated.
According to Film Inquiry, “There’s no doubt that the [film] industry’s fascination with beauty has reinforced unrealistic body images and…promoted standards that are tinged with sexism, ageism, racial preferences, and colonialism.”
In shows and movies like “Euphoria,” “Gossip Girl” and “Clueless” which follow the exciting lives of teens, adolescents see themselves in characters like Rue, Serena and Cher. They relate to each character’s struggle to find themself amongst the chaos of high school cliques, relationships and an uncertain future.
However, despite how authentic these struggles appear in media and Hollywood’s slow move toward inclusivity, the damage beauty standards in popular media have on teens is unavoidable and long-lasting.
The damage goes even further when one realizes these standards are unrealistic, unattainable simulacrums: adults pretending to be teenagers.
After its debut in 2019, the HBO series “Euphoria” pulled in millions of viewers, according to Deadline.com. The show’s attractive, stylish characters became role models for teenagers who wanted to look like them or live their drama-filled lives. Girls dressed up as 17-year-olds Cassie Howard ( 24-year-old Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy Perez (29-year-old Alexa Demi) for Halloween, and their boyfriends as 17-year-old Nate Jacobs (24-year-old Jacob Elordi).
The phenomenon of adults playing high schoolers isn’t uncommon, and as a result, adolescents begin to develop an unrealistic ideal of what someone their age looks like. While teens 14-18 in real life have to deal with the awkward stages of acne, voice changes and bodily development, characters of the same ages can sidestep puberty when portrayed by fully-developed, flawless actors sometimes nearly ten years older.
According to a Vice interview with Todd Thaler, a Hollywood casting director, this age gap has a purpose. It’s “all because of the labor laws,” Thaler states. “The number of hours that children are allowed to work are highly restricted, which limits the amount of time…adolescents [can be] on set.”
While these laws protect adolescent actors from being overworked or exploited, they also introduce new issues beyond unattainable beauty standards. Shows like “Euphoria” and “Riverdale” can put their underage characters in extreme adult situations without the ethical red tape that comes with hiring minors.
In “Riverdale,” 17-year-old Veronica Lodge (played by 25-year-old Camilla Mendes) runs a rum empire and underground speakeasy while fighting gang wars against her father. In “Euphoria,” 17-year-old Kat Hernandez (played by 25-year-old Barbie Ferreira) is a cam girl and later a victim of a leaked sex tape.
While these shows acknowledge that substance abuse, sexual encounters and other mature experiences occur regardless of age, they often romanticize or glamorize these things. By suspending the limitations adolescents encounter in high school when convenient, like dress codes, parental presence or age restrictions, fictional teenagers are permitted to engage in risky, consequenceless behavior.
This allowance in media normalizes and glorifies the adultification of teens. While adolescents don’t immediately replicate anything they see on television, the depiction of attractive young people in high school engaging in exciting, taboo activities without serious repercussions is often enough to convince minors they’re missing out on the best time of their lives.
Overall, the enduring influence that casting adult actors in teen roles has on young people’s body image, sense of self and decision-making are worth the extra steps required to cast age-appropriate actors.