Jacqueline Joo On the first day of this class back in August, we went around introducing ourselves with our favorite movie. My absolute favorite film is the 2001 Studio Ghibli animation, Spirited Away. I first fell in love with this film when I was younger because I related so much to Chihiro, the main protagonist. … Continue reading Void of Identity: Spirited Away →

The media we consume often plays a key role in shaping our attitudes and behaviors. Often, social media gets a lot of attention for how it affects its young users. But what about more traditional forms of media? How can these influence adolescents? In several of the novels we have read so far this year, … Continue reading Teenagers and Media: A Love Story →

  A few weeks ago on a lazy Saturday night I decided to hunker down into a nest of blankets and pillows for an evening of binge watching movies. I was unsure of what I wanted to watch so was searching through the queue on Amazon Prime when the film Lady Bird caught my attention. … Continue reading Are All Coming Of Age Stories the Same?-Emily Reed →

Guilt, identity, and empathy are, in my opinion, the cornerstones of adolescent development. These three concepts are closely connected to one another and I believe define what it means to be an adolescent regardless of socioeconomic status, racial identity, or other dividing characteristics. By guilt, I mean the shame that comes with doing something beyond … Continue reading Guilt, Identity, and Empathy →

(alternate scene when Coley and Cameron stayed home from Bucking Horse from Coley's point of view) I could feel the alcohol start to rush through my body.  It was the sensation of feeling everything and nothing at once.  Having absolutely no control yet somehow finally realizing the truth.  I have been denying this for a … Continue reading The Miseducation of Cameron Post fan fiction →

Jaicyn London As a class in Representing Adolescence, we have spent a considerable amount of time discussing what adolescence even means.  Going into this class, I thought of adolescence as the set time-period between the ages of twelve and eighteen years old. However, after weeks of reading our various books, I’ve discovered that adolescence is … Continue reading Topic Three →

As I read If I Ever Get Out of Here, I couldn’t help but think that Lewis has been born into a life of poverty and was immediately disadvantaged. I firmly believe that people are born with opportunities and privileges others, particularly poor families, are not fortunate enough to have. One instance I see this … Continue reading Poverty and Prison →

I have to admit, I might be a bit obsessed with Charlotte Temple. Even more so I am fascinated with the concept of a seduction novel and the ways in which young women back then were taught to be afraid of love, their sexuality and relationships. I believe that although much of this notion has … Continue reading I can never go home anymore →

by Alexa Nguonly Taylor Swift is one of today’s most influential pop stars. In this position, she is able to influence much of teen culture. For my generation, Swift has grown up with us. We listened to her in our middle school years and we listen to her now. For this reason, I wanted to … Continue reading Adolescent Struggles in Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” →

Shayna McCracken Fanfiction. The Archie Comics. What more could you ask for? In the light of Ship It, I decided to look closer at the sexual dynamics of fanfiction, and in particular, I chose to look at a homosexual fanfiction on fanfiction.net about Jughead Jones and Sweet Pea, another member of the Southside Serpents. I … Continue reading Fanfiction and the Archie Comics oh my! →