The music and sounds used help convey the age of the characters. Ring tones and popular youth music genres are used. The characters are portrayed as having independence from their parents, though some conform to stereotypes like laziness while others subvert expectations by having talents like music. Both positive and negative representations of teenagers are shown to provide a comprehensive view. The perspective shown subverts conventions by not solely portraying teenagers as lazy or grumpy. It is a typical representation for the teen drama genre in showing life through the eyes of teenagers. This appeals to the target audience by dealing with everyday teenage life from their perspective.

1. Media – Skins
How do the sounds help to convey the age of the characters?
The music used at the beginning is a genre of music that is commonly associated with
younger people. It is a non-offensive but recognisable genre. Other sounds that are most
commonly used are that of ringtones. These are used as it illustrates the amount that
phones are used to communicate with friends.
How are the characters represented?
The characters are seen to be running rings around their parents and in control for example
when the younger sister comes home from a night out and gets her brother to distract her
parents while she comes in and gets ready for school. The main characters either conform
to the stereotype of people of that age or subvert. For example one friend conforms and is
portrayed as lazy and untidy as he sleeps in through his alarm which is placed on top of a
dirty food plate. Other friends subvert for example one is seen practising a musical
instrument to a high level. This variety of teenagers gives a comprehensive contemporary
view on teenagers. The parents of the teenagers are represented mainly as foul mouthed
and out of control.
Is the representation positive or negative?
The representation is neither positive nor negative more a view on life from a teenagers
prospective.
Does the representation conform to or subvert from conventions?
The characters both conform and subvert from conventions as I have already mentioned. I
think the viewpoint that the programme is shot from subverts from the normal portrayal of
teenage life. That is typically lazy, grumpy, no clever and unhygienic. Due to the array of
teenage characters in the programme that do and do not follow stereotypes it results in a
representation that subverts from conventions.
Is the representation typical of the genre/sub-genre?
I think the representation is typical of a teen drama as it shows teenage life from a
teenager’s perspective instead of someone else’s.
How does the representation “appeal” to the target audience?
The representation appeals to the target audience as it is made by teenagers for teenagers
so it deals with the day to day life of a teenager through the eyes of a teenager. Which is
interesting and entertaining for teenagers to watch but also people of all ages as it can show
life from the perspective of a teenager?