1. Thesis Statement “Male teens are often negatively portrayed in the media, which, as a result, endorses adult, violent, and potentially harmful behavior among male teens and has decreased the support and regard society has for them” “Too often are there male teens in the media who depict behavior that is compulsive, dangerous, and highly irrational.” “ In many films and productions, the teenage male is respected by his peers and is highly attractive if he has multiple romantic relationships, smokes cigarettes, and partakes in other rebellious acts.” “Although teenagers are often portrayed negatively in movies and television shows, Hollywood is not the only culprit in the creation of a mass misconception regarding male teens.” “When teenage boys, who are neither adult nor child, are embarking on their personal journey to manhood they often look for direction in their peers and role models in society”

2. Introduction In American society there are children, there are adults, and there are those who are considered neither a child nor an adult, yet are both at the same time. Without a concrete label or identity within society, male teens have struggled to find their place and society has created an abundance of purported labels to give them. The mentality and culture of the teenage male has been hard to define over the years, but Hollywood and major media outlets have decided to take on the challenge. Television shows, movies, music, and print media have all, in some way, helped to create an extreme perception of the teenage male that has evolved into a part of the American consciousness. The life of the teenage male in the media is often connected to all that is taboo and chaotic through the use of mentally and emotionally unstable characters, and selective media exposure. He is portrayed as rebellious and popular, studious and uninteresting, or insecure and unpredictable, all of which are intertwined with confused and or robust sexuality and a predictably disastrous simple mindedness. These are just a few of the stereotypes and labels used to describe male teenagers which have in many ways formed a society more fearful than supportive of young men

3. Conclusion In Conclusion, the negative portrayal of male teens in the media has a destructive impact on both the teens misrepresented and society. Male teens are shown that sex is stylish, physical perfection is necessary, and are given seemingly inescapable gender roles. This is reflected in society in the various institutions for the correction and rehabilitation of male teens for aggression, health disorders, or drug use, and is reflected in teens across the nation. Male teens that are leaving their childhood behind them are being exposed to images of themselves that are having permanent effects on their health and lives. Health disorders and STI’s plague the modern male teen populous, and the media is in many ways responsible. The first step in reversing this mass misconception is awareness and accountability, then a complete reversal in the way the teenage male is portrayed.