SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

I've been learning how to Tweet. LOL! I feel so old saying that, but seriously, there are too many social networks these days. I can't keep up.

On Twitter, I noticed a TON of #YASaves posts and wondered what it all the chatter was about. They are all sharing their thoughts on this Wall Street Journal article by Meghan Cox Gurdon and how "YA Saves".

In her article titled "Darkness Too Visible: Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?", she starts off by saying:

Amy Freeman, a 46-year-old mother of three, stood recently in the young-adult section of her local Barnes & Noble, in Bethesda, Md., feeling thwarted and disheartened.

She had popped into the bookstore to pick up a welcome-home gift for her 13-year-old, who had been away. Hundreds of lurid and dramatic covers stood on the racks before her, and there was, she felt, "nothing, not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff." She left the store empty-handed.

I don't have the chance to go into a big bookstore, but even my tiny book section at the PX here in Oki has more to offer than that. Maybe she didn't look long or hard enough?

Then, she says:

How dark is contemporary fiction for teens? Darker than when you were a child, my dear: So dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18.

All things change with time. Maybe people (authors) are feeling the need to write about topics that teens face these days, topics that will spark conversion, get them to a place where they realize they aren't alone and can find help? Just a thought.

This first paragraph is how I feel, the second ... well, parents should monitor their youngsters reads, as they should monitor their video games and movies, IMO.

The argument in favor of such novels is that they validate the teen experience, giving voice to tortured adolescents who would otherwise be voiceless. If a teen has been abused, the logic follows, reading about another teen in the same straits will be comforting. If a girl cuts her flesh with a razor to relieve surging feelings of self-loathing, she will find succor in reading about another girl who cuts, mops up the blood with towels and eventually learns to manage her emotional turbulence without a knife.

Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care.

I'll stop there and let you read the article in full yourself.

I'd like to think there are very good YA novels out there that would empower YAs, not turn them into vampire-lovin', alcoholic, drugged out, cutters who rape others. But, that's just me.

This perfectly depicts YA reading for me. Actually any age, any genre, any book - escape from reality... even if only for a short while.

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GGGGRRRRRRRrrrrrr!!!!!

This kind of judgemental, negative-nelly drivel makes me crazy!

It is only in the last 100-ish years that childrens stories were written where the kids weren't eaten by the villan of the story! Most fairy tales were freakin' frightening and even I get wigged out by them. So I guess my real point is...it ain't that different folks, it's just that you were only validating the 'rainbows and unicorns' crapola.

The other thing that really gets me all reved up about articles such as the one you mentioned, is the narrow-minded view that only 'happy' stories are worthwhile for teens or kids. They should never be exposed to the dark aspects of life apparently. Or at least until they turn into adults. Then it's all good. Or perhaps worse, is the assumption or implication that it is the mindset of writers and publishers that changed and these things never happen in RL. Or at least not to kids. Or perhaps they just only happen to other people? Who knows?

IMO, these topics are pertinent to teens. They always have been and always will. Someone finally grew the grapes to start publishing them more often and delivering them to a mainstream audience. That is most likely the only reason we see so much more criticism about it now. There is just more material to criticize. :)

My absolute fav is this...Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.

I'm sorry, excuse me for a moment. Are we talking about teens? Have you actually spoken to one lately? Is there, legitimately, anything that a teen can't think up? Seriously? I think that is a massive underestimation of the teen creative process. ;)

I think many people lose sight of the fact that jsut because you are reading something, doesn't mean you are using it for a model of self-behavior. Here in the states (and many other countries), we expect our children to read about and learn about WWII. Does this mean that we expect kids to then start idolizing Hitler and using him as a role model? It's just silly and extremist IMO.

Of course, what do I know? I'm just raising one of those teens who reads all that dark-SFF garbage. She is an athlete and honors student and did her senior year of HS and freshman year of college simultaneously. She volunteers in a weekend program that feeds the homeless. She is the president of her HS's teen drug/alcohol awareness and prevention club. What an unstable, self-destructive child! She's on the short road to a felony conviction as we speak!

Sorry, very thick on sarcasm. *sigh* I just can't seem to help myself though. I grow weary of the criticism. Doesn't make you wonder how much better everyone would be if they quit worrying about everyone elses kids, and just paid more attention to their own?

One moment while I climb down off my soap-box. :)

Bravo to both of you!

Don't have time to step on the soap-box right now, but am in agreement with so many points.

Don't try to fence your kids in a safe little world (RL or books) cause there's no way they're gonna stay there. Better, TALK, and LISTEN!!! with/to them. Cr*p happens~doesn't matter who/where you are, and censoring books isn't going to change that. The real issues are somewhere else.

Son shares my love of reading (and type of reading~paranormal) and those reads lead to some great discussions that are enlightening & thought-provoking for both of us. (His father, though, is one who thinks reading supernatural stuff or something like The Hunger Games will lead to criminal/psychotic behavior...ugh...more "interesting" discussions of a different type there!)

You're all right of course.
The whole article is so out of touch with kids/teens/young-adults. Apparently if you're not content with reading about the happiness of unicorns you are either "a careless young reader - or one who seeks out depravity..." Patronizing at best, insulting at its worst.

Okay - I'm going to start off this post with a clarification first... I am in no way shape or form in favour of censorship. My general stance on books and teenagers is that it's up to parents to monitor what their kids are reading, and not in any way the authors responsibility who reads their books (marketing campaigns to inappropriate audiences aside).

However, I do know that being surrounded by discussions of mental illness or the effects of mental illness can trigger those vulnerable to mental illness. I can only assume that that is what the original author was concerned about. The trouble is recognising those who are vulnerable and making sure they don't become immersed in the subjects that cause them issues. There are a lot of illnesses that don't emerge until a persons teenage years. But again, for teens this is the parents responsibility, and when they understand their illness - their own responsibility IMO.

And I'm sorry but the statement: Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.

is true in part. I can't tell you details because they're not mine to tell, but I can tell you that if enough people around you think that a behaviour is normal, then if you are vulnerable to taking on that behaviour yourself. I say in part, because what is a far greater risk than reading about it is having friends who display the behaviour. You would not believe how quickly things like self harm can go viral (it certainly left me shell shocked).

So, for 9 out of 10 teens I don't believe reading the sort of YA books that are out at the moment will do any form of harm. They'll spend a few hours reading and escaping into a new world and will be all the better for it. It's the 10th person that's the concern. And it wouldn't be just the books that are influencing them there's tv, movies, music, games and friends.

Being concerned that a teen who is in deep emotional pain finds out about self-harm techniques through a book is a legitimate concern. But you can't wrap all teenagers in cotton wool hoping that that person doesn't get hurt. And in all honesty - that teen would have ended up needing some form of help anyway even if they read "happy" books all the time.

Excellent points, Tania! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Not having children myself and being further away from my impressionable teenage years than I am closer, I tend to forget how when you're feeling a bit lost it's easy to emulate others in search of yourself. So, it would stand to reason that YAs would do that with their reading as well.

Like you say, it's the 10th person that's the concern.

Definitely a topic that has sparked a lot of discussion and, probably more importantly, awareness among parents.

Man Tania, you hit that one right on the head!

Tania wrote: "It's the 10th person that's the concern. And it wouldn't be just the books that are influencing them there's tv, movies, music, games and friends."

There are kids that are going to be influenced and it will come from many different sources. I'm sure some people would think me strange, but it is for those rare kids, that I think it is important for these types of books to be out there.

If you are a kid with a predisposition to these behaviors, then true, these could influence you. For all those other kids that have no exposure to these issues, these books become almost educational. Many kids have no idea what the signs are of a peer suffering through a difficult time. I'm sure that just in my own youth, I blithely played along-side friends who were abused, depressed, suicidal, etc. and had no clue! With my own 'Beaver-Cleaver' upbringing I was completely oblivious.

It is not that I feel these books are some kind of assessment tool...just an introduction to a concept that many kids (luckily) have no other exposure to. I have experienced moments where I am glaringly aware of how much more 'savvy' my own daughter is to these things in her friends that I could have ever dreamed of being.

I won't fool you and say that I don't have moments of regret that she has to know of these things at all, but the knowledge has helped her make good choices, and support some of her troubled friends in doing the same. In my own sheltered youth, I'm not sure I could have boasted the same.

Steph is right as well; these things have triggered awareness in parents. It sometimes takes a bit of controversy to stir parents and get them into a position to help their kids. It isn't always pleasant, but if it helps a teen here or there, it is hard to argue the results. :)

Okay, so I don't read y.a. so out of curiousity I went to goodreads genre shelf and was immediately able to find some ya non "dark" books.



And by looking these up on goodreads I was able to find heaps more through the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section. Took me less than five minutes and no effort at all.

So maybe the mother in the article didn't look hard enough.

Or, and I hesitate to throw this out there - is this truly related to the group of idiots concerned citizens who think "Harry Potter teaches our children to be Satan worshippers"

I've no doubt there were good options there to buy, but for whatever reason the ones she spotted right off turned her off enough to stop looking.

I actually have a family member that wouldn't let her kids watch HP movies solely because of the wizarding thing. To each their own, I guess. Didn't understand it, but they aren't my children to raise.

I don't have any problem with a parent deciding what they'd like to have their child(ren) exposed to whether it be book, video game, music or film. In fact, they should care and pay attention for reasons we've discussed. But, to say suggest that there are no non-dark books for YA to choose from is rubbish.

Steph wrote: "I've no doubt there were good options there to buy, but for whatever reason the ones she spotted right off turned her off enough to stop looking.

I actually have a family member that wouldn't let ..."

To each his own is totally the way of it. One of the more senior research librarians in my district says that her joking response to complaints about books in our collection is, "We strive to make sure that we have a broad enough collection to have something to offend everyone." ;P

LOL!

That's a great line, Dana!

Isn't it though? I loved it. She is a spunky redhead and a lover of SFF. All the smart chicks read fantasy lit. ;)

Of course!!

That picture is fantastic!

The most popular thing out there right now seems to be vampires and witches, werewolves, fairies, ect. They sell the best so they are going to be right up there in the front. She needed to look a little harder. I know people who are offended by the bible, but there are right there with me sitting on the floor of a bookstore while I cruise the shelves.

I, also, have a family memeber who won't let her kids watch (since they are to young to read yet) the Harry Potter movies. But she, herself, asked if she could borrow one of my Twilight books because she wanted to read what happens next before the movie came out.