Have you ever watched a movie or a TV show, and you can’t help but cringe at the way the teenagers act? If so, you are not alone. I, too, have been there, simply enjoying my favorite show, when all of a sudden a scene of teenagers comes on and I have to look away because of how awful it is.

Due to the fact that most writers of TV shows and movies are much older than the characters they write about, the teenage characters are portrayed in such dramatic and unrealistic ways. I honestly can’t name a single show that portrays teenagers accurately. The worst part is the way most high school bullies are written. It’s so obvious that most scriptwriters haven’t been in school for several years, because if people actually acted that way, they would be a laughing stock. It always starts with the antagonist laughing with a group of friends at the main character, or coming up with poorly executed “insults” and walking away with no repercussions. And don’t even get me started on the way the teachers interact with the students. I can’t believe we allow Hollywood to get away with this in 2021.

Can we please stop letting adults well into their thirties write the dialogue for teenage characters? It’s almost unbearable at this point.