Five legal movies and shows may undermine teens’ motivation, reality, and satisfaction with life.
Our society legally bans content containing excessive sexual, violent, explicit, or drug-related materials by setting an age limit because of its potential to negatively affect teens.
But oddly enough, the work that immensely reshaped teens wasn’t legally restricted at all. The movies and TV shows on this list are legal for teenagers to watch. Yet they quietly mess with our mental states and leave effects that linger long after watching.
1. Showbiz Kids
WARNING : Do not watch while doing homework.
“Showbiz Kids” follows celebrities who became actors or singers at a very young age and shares their struggles and success as child entertainers.
Teens may sympathize with their struggles, but jealousy is common. Watching it, teens might search things like “child actor salary” or “how much child celebrities make” and even want to stop studying and debut as an entertainer instead.
This documentary is included because it kills teens' motivations to study.
2.Keeping up with the Kardashians
WARNING : Do not watch in your bedroom.
“Keeping up with the Kardashians” follows Kim Kardashian’s family’s daily lives. Everything from their houses to vacations is admired, but the most shocking are their children’s lives, especially children’s birthday parties. They literally build an entire amusement park just for one party. Watching this, teens might think, “I wish I were one of their kids.” Of course, teens love their parents, but for a moment, reality and our room feel smaller.
This show is included because it makes teens suddenly want to be reborn.
3. Amazing Mary (Gifted)
WARNING : Do not watch while solving math problems
“Gifted” tells the story of Mary who is a young girl with extraordinary mathematical genius. She even finds errors in a math problem created by an MIT professor and solves it herself. Watching her while solving math problems, teens may feel their own efforts are irrelevant and meaningless.
Teenagers had better avoid watching this movie with their parents. After viewing it with mine, there was a brief silence, but everything was understood.
This movie is included because it leads teens to feel their efforts are irrelevant and meaningless.
4. Catch Me If You Can
WARNING : Do not watch when life feels boring
The protagonist, Frank Abagnale, forged checks, impersonated a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. Even knowing all of this was illegal, his life looks exciting, leaving a desire to live like him.
Furthermore, the movie is based on the real figure Frank Abagnale, who was a con artist and check forger in his late teens, and the fact that he now lives a successful life and even gives lectures makes teens long for his life even more.
This movie is included because it makes teens hanker for a life they know they’re not supposed to want.
5. Lottery Changed My Life
WARNING : Do not watch when hating your life.
This documentary is the final boss. It follows lottery winners including some who eventually became unhappier than before.
Even after seeing this, teens may feel endlessly jealous and think, “Still… it couldn’t be better if it happened to me just once.” Dreaming of winning the lottery, teens might stop studying and beg parents to buy a lottery ticket. This also leads to imagining futures like, “If I win the lottery, I’d buy a house, a car, travel everywhere.”
Teenagers’ senses of reality fade, and hopes for instant success grow bigger and bigger.
This documentary is included because it can make teens hate their lives more.