With MTV's Skins TV Shows Are Going Too Far!

Promotional Picture - MTV's Skins

Harmless fun or overly graphic? It depends on who you ask. Before it was the TV show, Gossip Girl, now it's Skins that is teaching, reinforcing and promoting bad behavior on MTV. The show that's been described as gritty and comes on at 10 pm, a time when teenagers are definitely still up, depicting what many say are fictionalized and sensationalized bad relationships involving vulgar language, and hyper sexual, drinking and drugging activity, is the latest move by the MTV to get ratings at any cost. They defended their show, saying they are depicting the norm.

In a statement released Thursday they stated: "'Skins' is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way. We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards. We are confident that the episodes of 'Skins' will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers. We also have taken numerous steps to alert viewers to the strong subject matter so that they can choose for themselves whether it is appropriate.‬"

We all know how TV works. To get the required audience and ratings, reality must be exaggerated, but this is going overboard. Yes, some people including teenagers indulge in such risqué behavior, but definitely not most, and should such negative behavior be promoted in the media? I don't see the benefit to the general population. Even the name "Skins" is questionable because in some circles it refers to unprotected sex, as in skin to skin contact without protection, and skins being the shortened version.

My fear is that teens, who wouldn’t normally think about such behavior before, now have a model in the TV show to follow. Especially with MTV not having a multi-generational audience, teens are watching with their peers and thinking it’s reality, while their parents are watching other channels and are not aware of what their children are watching. This leaves the teens wide open to assimilating the information provided in the show in an unsupervised environment, which could put them in mental and emotional danger, that might lead to really devastating physical consequences in the future.
The issue is that movies or TV shows like this are like peer pressure on steroids, and can be overwhelming, even for the most "emotionally balanced" teenager. They also pose different challenges to teens and their parents. For boys, being depicted as sex crazed, up for sex anywhere, anytime, and with anyone, has negative consequences. Boys, who are not like that, can start to think there’s something wrong with them and the ones that are like that, think they are right. Some boys are actually emotionally sensitive and are not even ready for sexual activity at the ages being depicted in the show. For girls, a concern is that they are portrayed as sexual tools of pleasure for boys, with a need to service boys sexually to keep them. This is an unhealthy and disempowering behavior to model and reinforce in girls.

Teenagers already have enough to deal with. While dealing with the ever distracting physical and emotional accompliments of puberty and peer pressure, they must also focus on receiving a good education. Why add more their already full plates? When will the American media begin living up to its responsibility to its young viewers by creating only wholesome shows? Probably never. However, to stop them, they must be hit where it hurts, which is in the pocket. Advertisers own the only power respected in the capitalistic American media, which is money. Taco Bell displayed good corporate social responsibility by pulling out. Others should consider doing the same.

For frustrated parents asking the question, “How do you protect your kids?” I say parents should stand up to fight this show in every way they can, including finding ways to get it taken off the air. Call your congressman or senator. Join with others and write petitions against MTV. Speak up and speak out loud. It's only your "CHILDREN'S FUTURES" that is being played with here.

If you can, stop your child from watching the show, but realize that when you deprive your kids of watching such shows, they desire to watch them more, and they will find a way to do so. We can’t protect them from seeing it, but empower them to stand against what they see. Watch such shows yourself and analyze them scene by scene with them. Explain "Hollywood" to them. Tell them the truth, that it is a show that is for entertainment NOT educational purposes only and needs viewers and ratings to stay on the air. Educate them on the fact that the makers will do anything, include grossly exaggerate reality to get and keep viewers. Raise your kids to be media literate. Visit websites like www.commonsensemedia.org with them to educate them.

In summary, I urge parents, regardless of how awkward being close to your kids feels, remain committed to them. Do not alienate them. Let them feel comfortable enough with you to talk to you about any and everything, so they don’t buckle down to the power of peer and media pressure, and repeat the bad behaviors they see their peers do or watch in the media. I'm sorry to be adding more to so many parent's plates, and I sympathize with you, but consciously or unconsciously, you made a decision to become a parent, so you must deal with the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with it.

Power to the parent & happy parenting!