What’s Up: Opinion

WHAT’S UP // OPINION Under the Influence

HOW MUCH DO TELEVISION SHOWS ACTUALLY INFLUENCE THEIR AUDIENCE?

By Jose Lopez

The presence of serious topics within T.V. shows has risen over the years, with shows such as “Euphoria” and “Skins” becoming popular in the entertainment industry, as well as a must-watch for teens. Mental illness, substance abuse, disabilities and other controversial topics are often covered in these types of more mature television. Drug use in “Euphoria,” an ongoing T.V. series, is followed by a colorful, aesthetically pleasing high. Characterized to be enjoyable and a solution to the characters problems through the bright blue and purple shades, it’s a glamorized interpretation of what drugs feel like. It could bring curiosity to impressionable teens watching, encouraging them to seek out this portrayed high. In season one, episode two, two of the main characters take oxycontin. The hue of the show’s color palette switches to bright purple and dark blues. While under a childlike fort made of fluffy blankets and pillows, the two characters stare into each other’s eyes whimsically. They giggle and smile in awe as time around them seems to slow down. Mental illness lives at the heart of other T.V. shows such as “Skins,” written by Bryan Elslen. One of the main characters, Cassie Ainsworth, suffers from various mental illnesses, mainly anorexia. She shows clear symptoms throughout her screen time, and avoids eating as a coping mechanism for her unreciprocated feelings of her love interest, Sid. This coping mechanism is shown in dangerous detail during season one, episode five. After Sid cancels on his and Cassie’s plans one night, Cassie, in a haze, answers “Oh wow…I was really... I didn’t eat for three days so I could be lovely.” This graphic inclusivity of the number of days Cassie has gone without eating comes off as extremely triggering and encourages teens to grow dangerous habits. Even if the messages of these pieces of media are intended to warn viewers of the dangers of these real life issues, the damage is still being done. In the case of Euphoria, creator Sam Levingson states what he hopes will come out of the show’s take on drug use. “If anything, I hope that it at least opens up a dialogue between the two, because it’s hard being a teenager. It’s difficult, especially if you’re struggling with addiction and battling those things. Hopefully it’ll open up those means of communication.” Obviously the creators of these shows do not have ill intent, but the negative effects on viewers are still apparent. Even if they are made to educate, the dark themes still gravely impact their viewers Whether intentionally or not, this surge of serious topics within popular media is an influential aspect affecting teens and adults today. Not to say they should be canceled or be discouraged from being made--it is art, whether problematic or not. The real issue lies in the culture surrounding the viewership of these shows; the easy access and disturbingly casual talk around them results in an outcome that completely contradicts the message of the shows.

By Legend Engberg

Hot Takes:

Masks Edition

Some say masks are still necessary, others think it’s been long enough. In any case, mask mandatory status was dropped on Mar. 14. Here are some student’s Hot Takes!

Josiah Sloan Senior

“I’m not wearing it, I think it’s good ‘cause I can finally breathe, but respect to people who will still wear. it” Khylin SanchezHernandez Senior

“I don’t want to take off my mask until I see other people not get sick..like a green light.”

Cynthia Barron Junior

“Personally, I feel like we’re doing fine with masks on and getting rid of them will get people sick.”

Cut the Week

SHOULD WE HOLD SCHOOL ON FRIDAYS?

By Harvest Buchanan

More than 1,600 school districts in the U.S., including 137 of Oregon’s schools, have implemented a system that cuts out a single day from every week according to a study by Associate Editor Steven Sawchuk on Education Week. This makes Oregon the fourth-highest number of school districts with the implemented four-day school week in the country. The thought of a smaller school week sounds like a great idea, considering waking up early five days a week to go to a place where you have to learn things you never wanted to even hear about doesn’t exactly scream “fun”. It’s hard to focus on things that you enjoy when you’re stressed out all the time about assignments, future projects, and school in general. Not every student is able to spend all their time out of school working on assignments, and they begin to fall behind without being able to help it. But would an extra day off of school really help? High school students need a break in between all the schooling and homework, something a little longer than the two days that are usually spent working, rather than relaxing. If the weeks were shorter by just one day, wouldn’t that make students feel better about their work and home environments? Probably not. While the prospect of an extra day on the weekend every week sounds like a wonderful idea, the drawbacks of having fewer days to learn at school may outweigh the benefits. According to a report from Lamar University studying the pros and cons of the four-day school week in the U.S., schools that have implemented a four-day school week don’t always see the desired results. Schools usually have to extend the school hours once the fifth day is cut, which stresses out students, especially those in elementary school. Not only that, but some families struggle with finding a way of caring for their students on that day off because of situations outside of school Studies for each school that implemented this system differ widely. A study reported by Paul Thompson, an associate professor of economics from Oregon State University, focused on 137 schools in Oregon that adopted the four-day school week. It showed a temporary decrease in performance, mainly in minority, low income, and special needs students. It is hard to draw conclusions from any of the data because of how inconsistent it is around the US. It may be better to leave the week as it is because an inconsistent schedule would likely be much worse for students, especially during times where students miss much more school due to COVID-19 and other related diseases. To be frank, the answer to the question “Do you need an extra day off?” is a no. But there is room for compromise here. Students don’t need time tacked on to the rest of the days they get, and the stress of transitioning schedules and such would be way too stressful. So schools can instead try to find time to build in what is called a “passion period” where students are allowed to do work that they are most passionate about under the supervision of a homeroom or study skills teacher. We don’t need less days, we need more time to work on the things that we are actually interested in pursuing as a career path.