British Youth Character Study- J.J (Skins)

1) Youth are often represented in accordance with popular notions of adolescence Jay Jay has high autism and so he is unpredictable, as the series progresses he grows more rebellious and confident as he tires to establish himself as a person and fix his best friends ever dispersing friendship, over Effy.

b) JayJay finds happiness in simple childish tricks, showing us that he doesn’t like to face the difficulties his friends are facing.

c) In skins Jay Jay overcomes a lot of his problems, he exceeds in confidence, he faces

his friends who always seem to put him down, and he talks more to girls. 2) Youth are often ‘demonised’ by the mass media

a) A lot of teenage boys are demonised these days, for bad behaviour. But JJ is always seen with good manners and respecting everyone. But because he is quiet it might be because he is always put down by his friends.

b) Some of the scenes JJ is in are pretty bad, for example club and house party scenes.

3) Youth are represented as being let down by adults a) Jay Jay is only really let down by his friends. He never seems to be involved

with adults. On one occasion he is let down by adults, this is when he goes to the clinic and is given a lot of tablets for his condition.

4) Youth are represented as part of a subculture It is quite pointed out that JJ wants to be part of this ‘subculture’, even though he is categorically placed there because of his age, he is believes he is still not part of the “normal” group of people such as his friends.

5) Alienation- youth are represented as being estranged from parts of society a) JJ is probably one of the most alienated characters, though he surrounds himself with his friends he is still trying to be average, and beat his condition.

6)Youth are product of the society they were born into, and often embody the faults and fears of adult society. This is true for JJ who is always thinking of the consequences of the actions and ideas his friends plan. He tries warning them but everyone looks down at him and thinks he won’t do anything. That theory is proven wrong when in the episode ‘JJ’ he takes charge of all the bad situations happening around him on the advice of Emily.