Top 10 Things on Teen Shows That Make NO Sense

The adults on teen shows typically fall into one of three categories. First, there’s the parents that are essentially absentee, leaving their teenagers to fend for themselves. Sure, they make the occasional appearance when things get really bad, but most of the time their kids are left alone. Look no further than Peyton’s adoptive dad, Larry, on “One Tree Hill” for a prime example of this. Then, there’re the parents who do nothing but cause more problems for their kids. Hiram Lodge on “Riverdale” is a perfect illustration of this. Lastly, there’s usually one good parent (or set of parents) that somehow end up taking care of seemingly all the kids in town, like Sandy and Kirsten on “The OC.” Let’s just say the parenting on these shows is far from ideal.

It’s safe to say that for most people, their teenage years are a confusing time filled with insecurity. Few people, if any, are really fully themselves yet at such a young age. It’s a time for self-discovery and personal growth. Sixteen year olds aren’t supposed to have everything figured out. They are still essentially children, after all. Yet more often than not, their relationships on these shows seem to be so intense and super serious. There’s even multiple instances where they get married! Don’t get us wrong: we loved Naley on “One Tree Hill,” but we can’t pretend their love story is realistic. Teen shows make it seem like you have to find your soulmate in high school and settle down by the time you’re in your early twenties, when that’s far from being the case in real life.

There always appears to be a big artist or band performing on these shows. Yet the venues are usually pretty modest, and the price of entry appears to be low since the whole town can afford tickets. Or worse, the stars are somehow convinced to perform at schools, as if successful musicians aren’t too busy playing crowded stadiums most nights. We find it hard to believe that the tiny town of Tree Hill could get big names like Fall Out Boy to perform at the all-ages club, Tric. Or that Lady Gaga would let a bunch of college kids watch her dress rehearsal like we see on “Gossip Girl.” Let’s face it: no matter how nice it would be, these things don't typically happen.

Characters on teen series often seem to have infinite time in the mornings. It’s hard to believe any teenager would willingly wake up hours earlier than they need to in order to get ready. Yet these teens somehow fit a whole day’s worth of activities into one morning. They eat at a leisurely pace, hang out with the friends they’re about to see at school, and even manage to squeeze in last minute errands. And they do all this with smiles on their faces before the first bell of the day even rings! How do they make it to class on time? If these shows were realistic, you’d see them rolling out of bed at the last minute, cranky, and rushing to get to school more often. Of course, that wouldn’t be nearly as interesting….

A common thing that often happens on shows of this nature is that teenagers end up dating teachers at their school. They take what is known in the real world as inappropriate relationships and turn them into romanticized love stories that viewers are actually supposed to root for. “Pretty Little Liars”’ Aria and Ezra anyone? And that’s just one example out of many. Student-teacher relationships take place in far too many shows, like “Gossip Girl” and “Dawson’s Creek,” to name a few more. By attempting to normalize this, teen shows send a dangerous message. The prevalence of this narrative arc completely downplays the improper and unprofessional nature of such relationships.

Characters on teen shows often seem to find themselves caught up in crime . While the degree of mystery varies based on the program’s identity, there is apparently no shortage of danger. This can be through more out of the box storylines like those we often see on “Riverdale,” or slightly more realistic ones like on “One Tree Hill” and “Gossip Girl”. From stalkers, to murderers, and everything in between, the main characters are constantly threatened. Not only are they often the targets, the teens are also usually the ones who save the day. They rarely go to police, and when they do it’s to no avail. It’s safe to say most people don’t go face that many threats in their lifetime, let alone in high school!

Anybody who watched a teen drama before starting high school was probably disappointed when they got there themselves. As one navigates adolescence, it becomes obvious pretty quickly that 16 year olds don’t actually look like our favorite series would have us believe. Of course, that’s because the actors behind these roles are usually years older than the characters they play. In other words, they’ve already gone through their awkward stage! For instance, Gabrielle Carteris was 29 years old when she got the part of 15 year old Andrea Zuckerman in “Beverly Hills, 90210”. Rare are the instances where the actor is roughly the same age as the teen they are portraying. While this casting practice is commonplace, it certainly creates a warped image of what teenagers actually look like.

First of all, where is the dress code at some of these schools? On “Gossip Girl”, they customize their uniforms to a point where you can barely even call them that anymore! Not to mention certain characters walk around with purses way too small to fit any kind of school supplies. And it’s not much better when they’re out of class either. These teenagers are usually dressed to the nines, and treat every hallway or sidewalk like a runway. Why is nobody wearing sweatpants and hoodies? Don’t get us wrong: it’s fun to see them rocking great fashion, and it’s a great source of style inspiration. But we don’t know many high schoolers who walk around in high heels and fancy dresses on the regular.

The problems with teenagers’ appearance on these series don’t stop at how old they seem and the clothes they wear. From flawless skin to perfectly styled hair and muscular bodies, the characters always look gorgeous. Nothing is ever out of place. By watching them, you would think that every 16 year old boy or girl in high school should constantly look like they're ready for a photoshoot. Where are the braces, the bad makeup - or even the lack of makeup altogether? While this portrayal of adolescence is certainly more glamorous than the real thing, it also sets super unrealistic expectations for teens who might struggle with the fact that they don’t look like their favorite characters.

TV teens spend their time doing anything and everything imaginable - other than actually going to class and learning, that is. When they are at school, you mostly see them lingering in the halls and talking. On the rare occasions where you see them in class, they’re rarely paying attention! Not to mention they are seldom shown studying (for long). And somehow they have the time to run entire businesses on the side: Clothes over Bros on “One Tree Hill”, La Bonne Nuit on “Riverdale,” and the list goes on. Yet they set their sights on prestigious colleges, and somehow manage to get admitted. If only it were that easy in real life!