Youth / OPINION : ‘The Media Make It Hard for Responsible Teen-Agers’

VICTORIA M. RUFFIN

Senior, 18, Crenshaw High School, Los Angeles

The media have a lot to do with how the public views teen-agers. For example, the way the media covered those boys from (Lakewood High School) who formed the Spur Posse based on sexual conquests. It made teen-agers look really bad.

It’s not like that at all high schools. At Crenshaw High, we have some posses, but not all of them are bad. I just think that the television news media blew that one situation out of proportion and they’ve made it real bad for us.

It sensationalizes instead of covering things objectively. Now adults think we’re rowdy and bad. The media has made it hard for the responsible teen-agers who want to do something. Adults look at you like your age group is only interested in killing and drugs when it’s really not like that. Now my parents want me to account for every hour. My mother asks more questions about where I’m at and who I’ve been with.

I guess when it comes to other shows, the only one that comes to mind is “Beverly Hills 90210.” Being at a predominantly black school in South-Central, I can’t relate to that show. The simple fact is their lives are unrealistic. Just like when it comes to guns on campus. I think if a student did have one at Beverly Hills High in real life, it would be covered up. But when it happens at Washington High, Crenshaw High or other schools like that, then it’s in the news.

JANE PARK

Senior, 17, Granada Hills High School

As far as my age group, I think we’re getting more recognition. I think that adults and the media are listening to us more. Society is taking us more seriously.

As far as my ethnic group is concerned, I still feel there is a lot of tension toward Koreans and Asians, although society has progressed in how we respect other races. I don’t feel like our image in the media has been very positive. I still think the media has quite a ways to go before it understands our races.

There aren’t a lot of different shows I can cite as examples except the news because there are very few Asians in the media. And that is a problem, too. We’re very under-represented and we need more opportunities in the media.

KOFI NARTEY

Senior, 17, Crenshaw High School

I just think the media only want exciting news. They don’t want run-of-the-mill stuff. There’s a certain perception that people have because of what they see on television. And usually, when they talk about a shooting or a carjacking, they show a sketch of a minority, even though they are still searching for a suspect and aren’t sure.

In other parts of the country, the network news only showed minorities looting or gang members or teen-agers looting during the riots last year. I had a chance to go to Michigan for a summer program. Everybody was asking me questions. I felt like a spokesman for Los Angeles. Everybody had the idea that all the looters were blacks and Latinos or gang members. But that wasn’t true.

Even when it comes to our school, people think that Crenshaw High and the Crenshaw District is really bad. This is based on what they hear on the news.

TV shows are getting better, however, I’ve seen more white crooks stealing cars and stuff lately.

THOMAS BYRNE

Sophomore, 16, Fairfax High School

The way the media portray my age group and kids in junior high is really bad. The impression people get just from watching the evening news is that some of the most violent people on the face of the Earth are teen-agers. Every time some crime is committed, the suspect is 16 to 19 years old.

I think it’s starting to rub off negatively on elementary school-aged kids. They are starting to show up with weapons, drugs and alcohol because they want to identify with the older kids.

The sad thing about this is that only a handful of kids are the bad ones. Out of all the students I know, most are not bad. But the media seem to follow around this one bad group, and they make it seem like every teen-ager is bad.

I’d give “Beverly Hills 90210” a good rating. That show is great. Some violence, but it’s realistic. “Melrose Place” is good. I think that cartoons are getting a little too violent, though. Kids probably witness more killings in an hour of cartoons than two hours on a night-time soap.

TALI DEKEL

Junior, 16, Fairfax High School

I think it’s pretty accurate how the media portray young people. I think the violence in society is terrible. And every year, the age of kids with guns gets lower and lower. I mean kids at the age of 9 have guns.

Some television shows are good, but “Beverly Hills 90210” is a little too goody-goody. Reality is not like that. A lot of girls get raped. Kids have guns in class. Younger kids use drugs.

“Blossom” is a good show. “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” is good. It’s just really entertaining, although I don’t think life is like that in Bel Air.

I guess if I had to grade the media, I’d give it a B-plus.