Skins Analysis: collective Identity

1) Skins portrays a youth that is dominated by self gratification and indulgence through excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs and social deviance.  The characters attire reflect a fashion conscious youth that are obsessed with personal image and show a monopoly in label dominance. Over all, the youth is shed in a negative light which shows them to be a hindrance to society.

2) A non british perspective of the projection of youth in Skins would probably consist of disappointment and disgust. An older audience would notice the lack of respect that youth show in the presence of adults and would pay close attention to the over indulgence in binge drinking and the consumption of illegal drugs. In other cultures the actions of the youth would be considered inconceivable.

3) The portrayal of youth in this Skins episode is not particularly realistic. Some aspects of this representation of youth is correct for example binge drinking and taking drugs. However, the extent of these acts are exaggerated to what is really the case. Each character is a hyperbolic symbol for that specific stereotype. For instance, Cook represents a contemporary 'lad', but even his actions would be considered as unrealistic by people of his age and that are considered his real life equivalents. Furthermore, the characters are all from one part of the UK and their behaviors are ethnocentric. We can only judge skins by its british (Bristol) influence, we cannot generalize their actions to other parts of the world, and even other parts of the UK.