Overview of Annotated Bibliography
Over the last several years, the growth of adolescent culture has been widely investigated and debated in various settings, including academic and popular ones. This annotated bibliography is a compilation of four texts that explore how teen culture is portrayed, including its history and contemporary representations, its impact on teen behavior, and the moral panics it has caused.
For convenience, the annotated bibliography is structured as a citation list. Since each issue presents a fresh perspective on the subject, readers will better understand the complexities of teen culture and the implications that this culture has on current society. This, in turn, will help students to broaden their understanding of the implications of traditional culture for modern society. Readers may gain a better understanding of how teenage culture is represented in each book and how these representations impact the lives of young people by doing an in-depth investigation of each work.
Annotated Bibliography
Vega, Danielle. “The Haunted. By Danielle Vega.” DocPlayer. Web.
The Haunted is a novel that uses a trope of adolescents assigned to spend the weekend at a spooky old house. As they further investigate the property, the teens quickly learn a horrific mystery about the house’s history and the evil presence that resides within its walls. The teenagers must discover a method to flee to save their lives before the evil spirit claims them all.
Analysis of Teen Culture in Regards to Source
The image of youth in danger reflects a broader cultural fear of teenagers formed by western civilization. This anxiety has been fostered in modern culture since youths are frequently portrayed as wild, leading to moral panics about their behavior. The Haunted, by placing teens in a horror genre, serves as a mirror of adolescent fears and a greater societal fear of them.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer [1997] – Official Trailer (HD) | Now on 4K Ultra HD.” YouTube, uploaded by Sony Pictures Entertainment. 2022. Web.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a horror film about sexuality, identity development, and adolescent sexuality. Julie, Helen, Barry, and Ray share a summer secret that comes back to haunt them a year later. The protagonists are forced to confront their concerns and consider their sexuality and the implications of their acts as the film unfolds. The film provides a fresh viewpoint on the difficulties of maturing.
Analysis of Teen Culture in Regards to Source
The movie is an intriguing look at the pressures of adolescent sexuality and identity formation. The protagonists are teenagers struggling with the hardships of growing up, and the film provides a realistic look at their challenges. It depicts how socio-cultural ideas of adolescent sexuality can influence youth’s perceptions of themselves and their surroundings.
The film also examines the influence of the media in instilling moral fear. It perpetuates the idea of youth as reckless and irresponsible by positioning teens as protagonists. It reinforces the notion that teenagers should not be trusted and their sexuality should be feared. The movie fosters the notion that teen culture must be controlled and policed. The picture claims that teenagers are dangerous and should be monitored appropriately.
Sánchez, Diego. “The Virgin Suicides.” Academia.edu. 2015. Web.
The Virgin Suicides, the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, explores the lives of five sisters in a suburban community in the 1970s as they try to come to grips with a tragedy. The author wrote about the sisters as they try to find meaning in their lonely world and eventually commit suicide. The readers eventually piece together the puzzle of the sisters’ lives as their story develops.
Analysis of Teen Culture in Regards to Source
The Virgin Suicides is frantic quest of a group of young women to make sense of their surroundings. Its central themes include adolescent loneliness, rebellion, angst, and tragedy. The novel represents many youngsters’ challenges of coping with a changing society. The storyline serves as a harsh warning of the perils of moral panic. Moral panic was widespread in the 1970s, with a particular emphasis on young people’s behavior. Many adults saw young people as a societal threat and used fear and guilt to regulate their behavior. Eugenides investigates how these events can have disastrous repercussions, including death. The book serves as a reminder that society should not judge young people’s actions but rather attempt to understand them and their experiences.
Palma, Yasna. ‘Push-Sapphire.’ Academia.edu. 2018. Web.
Push is a postmodern novel written by Sapphire, an African-American novelist. The story follows Precious Jones, a Black girl in Harlem who is dealing with an abusive family and a life of poverty. Despite her trauma, Precious is an ambitious young woman who wants to achieve a better future for herself and her children. She meets a caring mentor, learns grammar and gains the confidence.
Analysis of Teen Culture in Regards to Source
Precious’ portrayal is an example of how popular culture has focused on the problems of teens from underrepresented areas. She lives in Harlem in poverty and deals with abusive parents and lacking resources, but remains determined and resilient. Precious’ story challenges popular culture’s typical views of youth as white middle-class teens and shows the issues encountered by adolescents from marginalized groups. Precious’ portrayal also contradicts the prevalent notion of moral panic in popular culture. Teens’ behavioral deviance are usually the focus of such phenomena, and the moral panic surrounding Precious’ story would imply that she is a morally wrong person. Push defies this notion by depicting her as a motivated and hard-working adolescent. This depiction of marginalized teenagers refutes the notion of a moral panic.
Connection of the Four Sources
The four sources include adolescent anxiety, sexuality, identity formation, and moral panic. They emphasize how teen culture may reflect adolescent worries and a cultural aversion to teenagers. Popular horror literature, such as Danielle Vega’s The Haunted, places teenagers under challenging circumstances. It pushes teenagers to face their concerns, take risks, and make difficult decisions. I Know What You Did Last Summer also depicts teenage sexuality and identity development accurately, as well as how cultural and social attitudes on juvenile sexuality may influence how young people see themselves and their behaviors.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides follows five 1970s suburban sisters as they seek purpose and commit suicide. The book advises against moral panic and condemning young adults too harshly. Sapphire’s Push is about a Harlem youngster in a poor socio-economic environment who has an abusive parents. Push questions popular culture’s perception of adolescence, which frequently favors white middle-class youth over impoverished one. All of these pieces of written and directed art depict interpret teen culture and related moral panics through their own unique cultural lenses.