Smells Like Teen Spirit

While we all left high school behind years ago, we’re still fascinated with on-screen teen revelries… and rivalries. According to Johannesburg-based psychologist Dr Janne Dannerup, teen shows portray a ‘preferred reality populated by teenagers and young adults’. The rest of us feel as if we ought to be like them in order to remain popular and acceptable, she adds. ‘Teen TV programmes feed our need to understand how young people interact and help us to feel that we are still on the ball.’

Cape Town life coach, Shelley Lewin, still watches teen dramas despite nearing the age of 40. ‘Escapism is the obvious answer to those who devour any and all TV dramas,’ she says ‘It makes me feel young again.’ We are reminded of another time that holds positive memories and a sense of nostalgia. ‘We hold these shows in high regard because the actors feel like they are a part of our family at some point. Because we feel we know the characters so well, they become predictable and their consistency throughout a series provides us with a level of safety and comfort, she adds.

Cape Town psychologist, Dr Tanya Robinson agrees, saying teenage dramas create a sense of fantasy for those older than 25 and offers something that our grown-up lives can’t give us. While these shows are marketed towards teenagers, she adds, they’re actually more adult-based than we think and a 25-year-old can easily identify with the content.

Gossip Girl	Why We Love It: The fashion and the hotties. There’s something alluring about watching wealthy, beautiful people waltzing around New York’s Upper East Side in Dolce & Gabbana. Besides the high-end fashion and fancy parties, watching the characters’ antics, whether it be Chuck and Blair’s latest scheme or Serena’s newest love interest, is incredibly entertaining.
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Author: Lindi Brownell