This Week in Pop Culture: Promoting Underage Drinking
As a father of two teens, I know it’s impossible to shield our kids from messages that promote underage drinking. That said, it’s always nice to be given a heads-up so we know just who and what in pop culture may be negatively influencing our kids – and right now in particular, I think you’ll be surprised to find out some of the sources sending pro-drinking messages to our teenagers. Here’s a quick round-up of where our kids have been seeing and hearing “cool” alcohol-related messages lately:
Tweens and younger teens: The latest Harry Potter movie. If you think I’m kidding, check out this article from the New York Times, which cites a number of scenes in which our favorite young wizards, only about 16, drink “butterbeer” and appear to get drunk.
Of course, Harry and company aren’t real, and in the movie they aren’t even mortals (or “Muggles”), so your children may not equate the Hogwarts kids’ antics with the underage drinking seen on Gossip Girls and 90210. Still, since studies show that exposure to alcohol in movies makes adolescents more likely to binge drink, you may want to talk to your Harry Potter fans about the dangers of underage drinking. Remind them that their brains aren’t equipped to handle alcohol yet, and that everything that happens in the fantastical Harry Potter world should be taken with a grain of salt. Yes, Harry may make underage drinking look cool, but then again, this is a guy who makes every potentially life-threatening situation – like fighting three-headed dogs and dueling the evil wizard who killed his parents – look fun.
Older teens and college kids: The blockbuster comedy The Hangover and the popular new website Texts from Last Night, which allows users to post “funny” drunken text messages they sent or received the night before.
The Hangover has been one of the summer’s biggest movies, but even the title is a drinking reference. The guys in the film are legal – the “hangover” occurs at one of the characters’ bachelor party – but the movie, which pieces together the events from a “blacked-out” night involving roofies and alcohol, emphasizes how much fun you can have on a night you can’t even remember. Most adults know better, but what message are teen viewers getting? That only wild adventures happen when you’re too drunk or drugged to function – nothing too scary or harmful. Talk to your kids and make sure they know the real consequences (injury, unsafe sex, or sexual assault) of ingesting too much alcohol, or, in this case, a mystery drug dropped into one’s drink.
Texts from Last Night also glorifies drunken evenings – and says hey, it’s okay to black out from drinking, since you can read all your texts the next day! It’s almost frightening that teens find these posts entertaining; we have to hope that our kids aren’t getting drunk just to say “hysterical” things of their own.
If your teens have mentioned using this site, remind them that they probably wouldn’t want something they drunkenly said – like true feelings for a crush or something mean about a friend – documented and posted for the world to see. You can even tell your kids that since alcohol lowers inhibitions, certain e-mail providers, like Gmail, actually have features to keep users from sending regrettable messages while intoxicated! (For more on regrettable texts and e-mails, see this post on “sexting” from our blogger Vanessa.)
Do you have any other examples where current pop culture is promoting alcohol to teens?
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At its core, Harry Potter is an British series - not an American one. The woman who wrote it lives in Britain; the movie cast are all from the UK; and there are multiple scenes set in London. What this means is that the story follows the culture, and laws of that country. According to http://www.erowid.org/, those 16 and over in the UK (which Britain is part of) “may purchase beer, porter, cider, or perry with a meal in an eating area on licensed premises” (Erowid http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/alcohol/alcohol_law2.shtml). England’s laws are no exception, with the majority of countries in the world placing their age restrictions no higher than 18.
It is not the screenwriter’s responsibility to make sure the majority don’t get the wrong idea. The movie does not endorse underage drinking, because where the characters are from it is legal! Give me a break.
If American parents are really concerned, they can take the time to explain that while America’s laws are different than the rest of the world’s, they still need to be followed
I must admit that I am tired of blaming others for what kids do. If a kid is going to do it, they’re going to do it. I grew up with alcohol and cigarette ads and those never had anything to do with me trying something. I had other reasons. We need to get to the reason why kids think this stuff is necessary to have a good time. Blaming movies, ads, etc. to me is a copout.
Stop picking on Harry Potter. If your kid is so vulnerable to the media that butterbeer is going to set off an addiction, then a kids’ movie is the least of your worries.
Kids are vulnerable to these movies & blaming movies isnt a copout, once people thinks its okay that there children are watching this stuff, the kids see it over & over. It becomes accepted,even cool, it has been proven that teens that watch sex on tv have sex earlier:
TV Sex, Teens and Pregnancy: Scientific Proof of What We Already Knew http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/rgcolumns/2008/1106.asp
Outside studies/documents on the effects of violence, sex, and language in the media.
http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/facts/studies.asp
Thank you, Ruth. I’m glad someone posted some empirically-based evidence that there actually IS a link between media and teen behavior. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, perhaps looking at the research will help us understand why paying attention to ads, movies, music, etc. affect our children’s perception of what is acceptable in the world. We might tell them “no”, but the media is telling them “everyone is doing it”. Having a conversation with your child can help clear up the constant mixed messages. Also, research shows that parental expectations have an impact on children’s intention to drink, and in what capacity they drink if they choose to (high-risk vs. lower-risk). While we can’t stop everything a child decides to do, we can help them make informed choices to protect themselves and also help them separate media from real life.
It’s called the “Right to Passage”. I am not against drinking. I am against minors drinking and adults drinking and driving. Now, message in the music. That is true….. If you go to Urban Dictionary.com you will see the different meanings. Have you ever heard of Superman. Look it up. The meaning we know is so different than the meaning our kids know.