Hollywood glorifies everything from vampires to presidential candidates, and lately it has been romanticizing teenagers a little bit too much.

Too many shows are on television right now about misfits.  From singing outcasts (Glee) to substance abusers (Skins), right now anyone would feel normal by being ostracized. Sure, I guess these shows could provide some comfort in times of need, but lately I’ve seen many students walking and talking as if they were the lead characters in one if these over-dramatic shows. In other words, the shows are the inducers of more drama.

As teenagers, we all have some sort of drama in our lives, from peer pressure to friends. What we don’t all need is more drama. Television shows such as Degrassi, which features teenage pregnancies, drug-taking and sexual relationships gone wrong, have us thirsting for more drama, and make us feel as if the only way to live is running away from the diabolical “A” or the cops (Pretty Little Liars).

I have also witnessed a spike in depression and self-harming, and now I’m talking on a wide scale, not just Shalhevet students. We all feel the pressure of looking like a Photoshop-ed celebrity, but now that the media is glorifying depression, being sad is cool. A lot of depressed feelings are being ignored because it’s now the norm, when in fact we should all probably be speaking with a guidance counselor once a month.

The really sad part is that younger kids now are being exposed, too. Right now I’m sitting next to my nine-year-old brother watching Power Rangers. This episode seems like a soap opera with teenagers running around in colorful tights. The villains are either the creepy guys with the monster mask on, or the woman wearing black lipstick who laughs too much. In real life the bad guys aren’t always this obvious. What happens if my brother sees an unattractive man walking down the street and thinks he’s a bad person, or if an old lady offers him a lollipop in return for helping her with something in her house? He gets hurt. That’s what happens. He’s getting ridiculous messages, and learning the opposite of the truth.

My solution is to avoid gossipy shows like these.  Instead, I watch shows that promote being a strong individual and protecting others. I watch shows like House, which features a grumpy old man who in the end of the day saves lives with his strange and rude techniques. I like this show because it promotes the idea that everyone has an ounce if goodness in them, rather than the popular girl is always a snob or the nerdy guy is always an amazing friend.

My new favorite show is a British mini-series called Sherlock. This show is based on the infamous Sherlock Holmes but takes place in modern-day Britain. I highly suggest watching this show and others similar to this. Good luck.