The consequences of adult actors portraying teens on-screen

Watching movies and T.V. shows about teenagehood is a common way for teens to indirectly relate their life experiences or desires through the actors on the screen. The problem with the execution of said-media is that adults almost always portray the “teen” adolescents they see and compare themselves to. These adults have fully developed bodies and glamorized appearances that don’t represent the average school-aged student. 

The average age disparity between adult actors and the teenage role they play is around eight years. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that adolescents mirror characters in T.V. shows similar to themselves to build their identities. However, these characters hardly ever accurately depict teen life, appearance, or otherwise.

From iconic high school comedy “Mean Girls” to Emmy award-winning teen drama “Euphoria,” I’ve watched a lot of on-screen depictions of high school throughout my life. When I was in middle school, I believed that I would grow to look and act like the characters I saw on the screen, but this expectation couldn’t have been further from the reality of my high school self. 

In tenth grade, I didn’t have the stylized appearance or the physical development of 17-year-old Cassie Howard, portrayed by 24-year-old Sydney Sweeney in “Euphoria.” I was tall and physically awkward after so many growth spurts. My breasts were still developing, and the outfits I styled in honor of my favorite movie characters never fit me the way I wanted them to.

I also compared myself to characters I related to on an emotional level, especially Marissa Clark. Veronica Dunne portrayed this bubbly, fierce blonde on the Disney show “K.C. Undercover,” starring alongside Zendaya. 

While Dunne always had sleek and well-styled hair, mine always tied itself in knots. While she had a defined jawline, I still had baby cheeks. Dunne was 20 playing a 15-year-old when the show premiered in Jan. 2015. I was only 12 years old at the time, yet I compared us as if we were nearly the same age, which resulted in insecurity.

Like me, high school junior Nora Silverstein also had unrealistically high expectations for her anticipated high school physical appearance due to shows like teen drama “One Tree Hill.”

“When I was younger, I thought I was going to look different and dress differently,” Silverstein said. “Seeing how the actors dressed and how they interacted with things in their lives set my expectations really, really high.”

Silverstein realizes that comparing her presentation to that of celebrities playing high school characters can make individuals unnecessarily insecure. This idea is statistically supported as well. A Sage Journal study concluded that comparing oneself with celebrities is associated with poor body image.

This issue isn’t isolated to female characters. It deeply affects teen boys, too. High school sophomore Mark Fryaman feels that the age disparity between an actor and the character they play makes portrayal less authentic. 

“Actors playing high schoolers often miss the true emotional depth and variety that teens possess in real-life scenarios because of their hormones,” Fryaman said. “The complete physical difference makes their emotions less genuine.”

Additionally, teen characters aren’t usually portrayed as having insecurities, or their insecurities are deemed too irrelevant to mention. This can cause teenagers to believe that their insecurities are abnormal and unimportant. High school junior Karthik Kumar believes this common aspect of adolescence is misrepresented on-screen and is a tangible fix.

“As a boy, there has always been an insecurity with vulnerability,” Kumar said. “Growing up, it was disheartening to see the lack of representation of male vulnerability on-screen.” 

Even though the age disparity can harm teens, teenagers usually can’t play teenage roles in the entertainment industry. Child labor laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act prevent teenage actors from being able to meet the allotted time required to work on set for a T.V. series or movie. Additionally, actors under 18 require a guardian to watch over them on set. They may also need tutoring to supplement traditional schooling, which the production pays for. 

Because of this, directors often cast actors and actresses that have a particular body type to represent an age group. This tactic fails to support body diversity in the media. It creates fewer opportunities for talented actors who don’t conform to the standard. And, it creates an idealistic portrayal of what a “usual” physical appearance is for viewers.

Child actress Vivian Poe, who was just 14 years old when she began acting in out-of-school productions, continues to play child roles as a high school-aged girl.

“Since I have a small chest, I play characters written to be up to 5 years younger than me,” Poe said. “I never see myself being automatically what casting agents are looking for in certain teenage roles.” 

The entertainment industry must be held accountable for its damage to adolescents and teens by inaccurately portraying them on-screen. This content should never perpetuate insecurity. It is essential to be aware that what adolescents are absorbing is not representative of their physical appearance or their life is the only way to free teenagers from these internalized, unreasonable expectations.