TV’s Effect on Teen Girls

Thank you, Brian Lowry, for finally exposing TV’s dirty little secret (“WB Covers a Trend Too Well,” June 20). Adolescence is hard enough for teenage girls; I know that ours is certainly a challenge. It sometimes seems that the deck is stacked against parents when daytime and prime-time commercial TV is loaded with shows espousing the WB mentality of teenage sex as the norm. Using sexually mature adults to portray “normal” kids adds yet another dimension, because the teenager feels the need to look the part as well as act the part.

When the subject of teenage pregnancy comes up, we are told that parenting is to blame. That certainly is relevant, but let’s not discount the effect that television (as well as movies and music) has on influencing young minds. Advertisers would not sponsor shows within this demographic if they didn’t think impressionable kids weren’t paying attention.

We, like many other parents, had a false sense of security that commercial channels were “safe.” Cutting out TV altogether is our next logical step. I suspect, however, that in the eyes of some folks, this could be considered child abuse. I also applaud Lowry for questioning where women’s organizations stand in this matter. Where is the outcry for these woman/girl portrayals? If this isn’t “objectifying” females, I don’t know what is.

TOM McGILLOWAY

Upland