Youngers: Painfully Stereotypical.

I've just caught new E4 teen drama Youngers on the Channel 4 website, ahead of its start date of Wednesday 20 March. I can't quite decide if its better that I wasted my time now rather than then. All that really matters is that it was an utter waste of time.

The show follows two teenagers, Jay and Yemi, fresh from school and juggling the pressures of results day and aiming to be the next big thing on the urban music scene.

There's something painfully cringey about the depiction of teenagers on TV nowadays: Skins, Misfits, and now Youngers represent my generation in such a bad light it's no wonder society is so dead-set against us having any kind of responsibility. But at least Misfits and Skins (barring both shows' last series) were enjoyable to watch. Coincidentally, one of the writers of Youngers is Georgia Lester, who also co-wrote Skins; when I discovered this, I had high hopes. But they were soon dashed.

With Youngers, I just feel sick every time the words "fam" or "you get me blud" are used. Which is a lot. And don't even get me started on the genuine use of YOLO.
I literally do not know a single person my age who speaks like that. Granted, I don't live in south-east London, but Middlesbrough is pretty grim too. I can't help but notice the unjust bad press teenagers get nowadays, and I fail to see the logic behind TV broadcasters, such as Channel 4 (who, incidentally, are meant to be for our generation) portraying us as the old-fashioned stereotypical 'ghetto chav'.
It's not just the hyperbolised characters which renders Youngers a show to avoid. The plot seems to be lacking and again based on stereotypes: Jay practically fails his GCSEs so spends his times loitering around the streets and sleeping with numerous girls; Yemi passes with flying colours yet, by the end of Episode 1, seems to be willing to give up his promising future at sixth form and progress in his music producing career all for a girl; and then of course, the producers have thrown in some subtle hints of gang violence just for measure.
Youngers, despite its name, isn't for young people. Why would we want to watch the very stereotype that holds us back? I can only assume that Channel 4 have made this show for older generations, the typical Daily Mail reader, if you like, to confirm to them that they're right to despise anyone under 20 and they're right to cross the road to avoid us.
The official broadcast of Youngers is this Wednesday, but I urge you not to watch it out of principle. Get on the street corners with your 2 litres of alcohol, and terrorise any adult that walks past you instead. It's what they expect anyway.