Love Island for 13 year old?

BigYellowElephant · 10/07/2022 07:10

We watch it together and it brings up a lot of useful conversations and discussions. She would just watch it on her own anyway, it's a losing battle at this age to try and restrict things like this that the whole class is talking about. I'd rather watch it with her and explain how wrong certain things are than have her get all her information from tiktok

MrsHarrison87 · 10/07/2022 07:16

My 13 year old DS watches it. He watched it last year too.

Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov · 10/07/2022 07:18

I don't have teens yet so havnt a clue. But I think love island could be such a powerful tool to teach people about how not to allow people treat you. Boys and girls. And not to treat people. It's so obvious that they don't actually see each other as fellow human beings with feelings or consider other people before they act.

MarysShackles · 10/07/2022 07:27

As others have said. We watch it together. It’s crap but entertaining and we can see many ways NOT to behave in a relationship. Lots of life lessons.

piesforever · 10/07/2022 08:09

Yes it's a good way to spend time with my similar age dd, have chats about the characters, what's acceptable or not, it's not a great programme but it does facilitate bonding!!

RedHelenB · 10/07/2022 09:47

BrookeDavisQueen · 10/07/2022 07:07

If your 13yr old had social media (Insta/TikTok specifically) would you let them watch Love Island with you? (Skipping the NSFW bits obviously)

Prompted by the thread on gaslighting/control discussion on telly addicts.

Mine would have been allowed at that age. Can't stand the show myself.

Midlifemusings · 10/07/2022 09:51

I think it is important to reinforce that similar to a romcom, LI is first and foremost a TV show. That the cast are hired to entertain and that the development of relationships are done in a completely contrived environment with producing and editing used to create storylines. The cast knows that drama gets them airtime and many of the cast are on the show to get airtime and future opportunities. It is also a high pressure environment as they are trapped in a small space with people and can't get any privacy or any personal space and they are bored out of their minds. It is designed for entertainment.

A good cast member is not one that sits around being quiet and polite and kind all day. The producers want conflict and drama and anger and tears etc.

Original poster

BrookeDavisQueen · 10/07/2022 10:27

I agree @Midlifemusings but I'm not sure that the themes you see in LI are covered in teen dramas. You don't often get control and gaslighting in romcoms. In soaps maybe, but I'm not sure how popular they are with this generation?

OP posts:

Midlifemusings · 10/07/2022 10:54

BrookeDavisQueen · 10/07/2022 10:27

I agree @Midlifemusings but I'm not sure that the themes you see in LI are covered in teen dramas. You don't often get control and gaslighting in romcoms. In soaps maybe, but I'm not sure how popular they are with this generation?

I disagree with labeling their behaviour given the contrived setting and the expectations on them to maintain a storyline and to get airtime. Gaslighting has become a buzz word that has lost all meaning.

Pretty much all of the guys and the girls exhibit unhealthy behaviour at some point or another for a real relationship but they aren't in that context. They were put into couples (arranged relationships) and only have the choice of a few partners and are constantly being put in positions to change partners. They are trying to stay on the show for the prize / future opportunities. They are put into scenarios like kissing challenges and Casa Amor that are not real life in any way. They have TV related pressures that don't exist in the real world.

Certainly there are examples of bad and unhealthy behaviour but given how contrived, unnatural, produced, and stressful the environment is, I don't know how much of what is seen can really be applied to normal relationships. I would say like porn or a romcom - it isn't that you can't take anything from it that would be a teachable moment - those just wouldn't be what I would use to teach about sex or romance as they aren't real life. Neither is LI.

Badgirlgonegood · 10/07/2022 10:56

I would rather they watched Love Island than had social media/TikTok to be honest!

noblegiraffe · 10/07/2022 11:05

I wouldn't allow mine to have Tiktok at all so you can disregard my opinion but I definitely wouldn't let them watch Love Island.

Terrible messaging about body image for a start.

KyaClark · 10/07/2022 11:11

I would have watched it at 13.

I watched Sugar Rush at a similar age.

Original poster

BrookeDavisQueen · 10/07/2022 12:42

@Midlifemusings it's more the sparking of conversations rather than whether it's real or not. Is there anything in real life that you can see in the same way? Such as how groups of lads behave with their mates and how they behave with a girl?

OP posts:

balalake · 10/07/2022 12:44

The best conversation in my opinion would be to explain why you don't want to watch it. Two former contestants committed suicide is my main reason.

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 10/07/2022 13:16

Absolutely not. 16+ IMO.

Mozero · 30/01/2023 08:35

Midlifemusings · 10/07/2022 09:51

I think it is important to reinforce that similar to a romcom, LI is first and foremost a TV show. That the cast are hired to entertain and that the development of relationships are done in a completely contrived environment with producing and editing used to create storylines. The cast knows that drama gets them airtime and many of the cast are on the show to get airtime and future opportunities. It is also a high pressure environment as they are trapped in a small space with people and can't get any privacy or any personal space and they are bored out of their minds. It is designed for entertainment.

A good cast member is not one that sits around being quiet and polite and kind all day. The producers want conflict and drama and anger and tears etc.

This.

musingsinmidlife · 30/01/2023 11:22

BrookeDavisQueen · 10/07/2022 12:42

@Midlifemusings it's more the sparking of conversations rather than whether it's real or not. Is there anything in real life that you can see in the same way? Such as how groups of lads behave with their mates and how they behave with a girl?

No, because how the guys or girls behave with their mates on the show and how the guys and girls behave with each other is produced and edited.

The show wants there to b love triangles and conflicts and wants the audience to root for some and root against others and so they show you what they want you to see. Danica coupled up with like 8 different guys over 6 weeks - that became her storyline. The guys and girls behave very differently than they would in the real world because they are in a fake, contrived, unnatural environment - put there for the purpose of creating entertainment - and then editors select which few juiciest words or moments to show and splice them and edit them into how they want to create the best show they can.

I don't really think it is fair to judge the guys or girls for what gets show on a reality tv show.

Flamingogirl08 · 30/01/2023 11:25

Yeah, watch together and it's fine. Policing things like TV for a 13 year old is a losing battle in my opinion. Much better to be open and discuss things rather than try and ban them.