The dawning of desire skewed through a media lens and the loss of American adolescence: M i 4 U?

Abstract

Desire dawns both publicly and privately for adolescents in our mediarich American culture. Adolescent youths come of age simultaneously physically, cognitively, and socially. Research finds about one-third of a teen's day consuming media (Roberts, 2000). Mass media, like films and movies, can both reflect and influence a healthy adolescent awakening for our young. Or, not. Adults' best interests worldwide perhaps are served with media portrayals of adolescence depicting sexuality and vitality, a positive psychology concept, rather than those too prolific portrayals of sexualization. Thus, teens and elders are separate and shared stakeholders in this rite of passage, and may have complementary dawnings of desire, of intent. Teens desire to mold their identity for a firm foundation for future peer relatedness apart and separate from the family-centered relatedness of childhood. Elders may desire the satisfaction of generativity, that is, passing along their wisdom to the young, and then, of being appreciated. 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.