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Wired for Sex, Lies and Power Trips: IT'S A TEEN'S WORLD

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Wired for Sex, Lies and Power Trips: IT'S A TEEN'S WORLD

Wednesday April 4 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network

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Sex, Lies and Power Trips

Watch the promo.

4:18 min

 

You know, you think that okay, then maybe I could grab her ass 'cause the way she dresses, she's telling me to grab her ass.
Billy, 17

They keep doing it even if you say no or stop 'cause they think you're joking so it gets kind of difficult to tell them to stop.
Kelsie, 15

They don't think that the little things they do is sexual harassment. They just think it's normal.
Pauline, 16

Kids today are active players in a sexually-charged popular culture, fuelled by media and personal technology. But at what cost? Whether it's posting sexy photos and raunchy video on the net, ass-grabbing in the school hallway or spreading explicit gossip that shatters high school lives, harassment is commonplace, even acceptable.

Kids today seem to be simply absorbing the bombardment of sexually explicit language, images and behaviours into their social scripts. Even those who recognize the consequences feel powerless to stop it.

Combining documentary verite and self-directed dramatic films, three diverse groups of Toronto teens have an unprecedented opportunity to examine their provocative, fast-paced and hyper-sexualized social world more carefully and thoughtfully. Perhaps most revealing is how the kids in each group challenge each other's assumptions, grapple with contradictions and ultimately change their perspectives.

In an unprecedented journey through computer screens, inside all-ages clubs, with candid personal diaries and in their own short dramatic films about sexual pressures, It's a Teen's World exposes what it's like for today's teens to navigate a tangled web of sex, lies and power trips.

Wired for Sex, Lies and Powertrips: It's a Teen's World is the thematic sequel to director/producer Lynn Glazier's acclaimed and influential documentary film It's a Girl's World: how girls use their social power to hurt each other (NFB 2004).

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It's a Teen's World: wired for sex, lies and power trips is also a three part radio series on Ideas. Listen to CBC Radio One, September 30, October 7 and 14 at 9 pm. Read more on the Ideas website..

CBC Archives: The Trouble with Teens

The word "teenager" didn't even exist until the 1940s. But as long as there's been a word to describe youth aged 13 to 19, there have been adults complaining about teenagers. Drinking, promiscuity, laziness - these are some of the negative stereotypes that have stuck with teens over the decades. Yet most teens do grow up to become responsible citizens. Are teen problems a real concern, or are adults just worrying too much? CBC Digital Archives looks back at how teenagers were portrayed in the media from 1949 to 1979.

It's a Teen's World

Visit the official website for watch a trailer, read more about the film and find out where to purchase an educational package for teachers. Visit It's a Teen's World.

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