Television series are fertile grounds for analyzing representations because they are a “paraphrase” of everyday life experiences. The representation of the transition to adulthood in the series highlights an age of experimentation and the quest for identity, the detachment of first ties, the importance of friendly networks which are embodied in circumscribed probationary spaces, a youth culture , but also a sentimental and sexual education, more and more explicitly staged.
THE teen series and series that present adolescent issues with teenagers as main characters are then important cultural works for analyzing representations of adolescent sexualities and for understanding how adolescents deal with these representations.
Coming out, first time, community of peers…
The multiplication of teen series brings together an abundance of subjects, hitherto little addressed by classic series: coming out, cyberharassment, first times, transidentities, discrimination, risky behavior. These subjects are now addressed and made visible in television series, whether they are broadcast on the major American networks or on cable or streaming channels. However, there has been an evolution in the representations of adolescent characters and sexualities since the series first highlighted gender stereotypes (the cheerleader, the mean girlthe quarterback) and heteronormative sexuality (often simply suggested).
Today, the plurality of representations conveyed in series is undeniable. For example, the question of the first time evolves very clearly to present more complex experiences by grasping the question of sexual health (Sex Education), consent or first times in LGBTQI couples (Heartstopper). THE teen séries develop reassuring scenarios in this regard: if the first times go wrong, partners can find solutions and gradually improve their emotional and sexual lives.
These series focus on the characters’ coming out process in order to show the importance of this revelation of identity to family and friends and sometimes the rejections and difficulties that this can cause.
THE teen series Current efforts strive not only to make these questions visible through the deployment of increasingly complex narrative arcs and characters, but also to show the full diversity of situations and sexualities. For example, coming out (not very present in series for teenagers) is starting to be part of the serial issues as in Glee or Pretty Little Liars.
These series focus on the characters’ coming out process in order to show the importance of this revelation of identity to family and friends and sometimes the rejections and difficulties that this can cause. In this context, certain series like Heartstopper highlight the need to support the community of peers in the daily lives of the characters.
The importance of receptions
Adolescents watch these series, but what is interesting is the ways in which they appropriate them: how they invest in the themes developed, how they identify with the characters, talk about them among themselves, criticize them and put them at a distance. . Adolescent audiences are active in their reception and they seize narratives, stories, imaginations, to build communities of practice, networks as well, and carry out cultural, social and political actions in the form of content sharing digital and creations (fanfictions, fan arts, edits video, cosplay) in particular (Bourdaa, 2018; 2021).
But above all, the series allow them to generate meaning, exchanges and debates in their fandom. For example, on the question of coming out, what the characters Kurt and Santana experience in the series Glee allowed adolescents to talk about their own experiences, to sometimes come out in the community but also to their parents and friends. Thus the character becomes an accompanist for these audiences.
An education in intimate and sexual life based on the “teen series”?
And if the teen series were a lever to be as close as possible to the practices and representations of young people, particularly in what we call “education for emotional and sexual life”? In any case, this is the bet that the authors of the book Teen Serieswhich strive to mobilize, for around ten series, themes transversal to the lives of adolescents: addictions, relationships with adults, first times, homophobia, gender identity, groups of peers.
More than three quarters of the 1,135 young people who responded to our questionnaire survey believe that the series would be useful for sexuality education and a third say they have changed their outlook on sexuality following viewing one or more series.
It’s time to build on this popular culture that is the series.
The interviews which also made it possible to produce this book are illuminating on the fact that there is a strong distance between the courses and the educational systems for emotional and sexual life as they are developed (particularly at school). and the representations conveyed by the series that these same adolescents watch.
Moreover, through their use of it (on social networks, in fan groups), adolescents capture advice, opinions, feedback on practices (cultural as well as sexual) which otherwise compete with , at least sometimes delegitimize institutional discourses. What if institutions took hold of these series? What if the representations of adolescents met those of adults, in the sharing of a common practice: viewing, followed by exchanges, of teen series?
While the application of new education programs for emotional and sexual life is long overdue, it is time to rely on this popular culture that is the series, given the place it occupies in the lives of adolescents… as in adults!
Source: www.slate.fr
