New Movie Helps to Understand the Minds of Teenagers
A deep dive into the adolescent psyche.
Growing up can have its set of challenges, especially when it comes to moods and emotions.But there are many ways to help teens learn how to manage these feelings. One of these is through movies.
Inside Out, Pixar’s hit children’s movie, explores this theme by telling the story of Riley, a girl who moves to a new city, and the emotions that guide her. Now, the sequel to this popular film, Inside Out 2, was recently released.
All about the movies
Talking to a teen or child about emotions can potentially be a challenging experience. The movie Inside Out, according to Slate, reminds parents what happens in a child’s mind as they grow up. The first movie explored what happened inside Riley’s head, and gave characters to each emotion.
Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness all lived in Headquarters, the control center in Riley’s mind. Joy is Riley’s main emotion and the one that was mostly in charge of Headquarters, trying to keep things positive. The movie explains and explores the purpose of emotions and of sadness, through the conflicts that arise between Riley’s emotions.
The sequel welcomes a new character, Anxiety and the movie accurately plays out what people who suffer from anxiety experience. Teenagers actually feel emotions, like anxiety, more strongly than children or adults do, reports CNN. Teens have more anxiety because it is easier for them to imagine future problems.
The movie portrays these sophisticated emotions and translates them into understandable and relatable terms for both children and adults.and it does it through an outstanding use of cinematographic magic.
Normalizing teens moods and minds
According to The Conversation, the Inside Out movies do a fantastic job of normalizing the emotions of sadness and anxiety. These are human emotions that every person experiences, and each serves a purpose. Inside Out 2 explains that the emotion of anxiety is there for a reason, and it is normal and positive, as long as it doesn't take over.
The movie explores important topics like the sense of self, brain development, positive and negative self talk, and the physical, emotional and hormonal changes associated with puberty.
The movie has great lessons for both kids and adults to learn, according to Slate. For parents it can be a great opportunity to remember what growing up felt like, even though a long time may have passed. And for teenages, it must be one of the most validating movies out there. What a beautiful use of a platform. Well done, Pixar.
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