ISN'T IT TIME WE STOOD UP FOR TEENAGERS?

In 2009, playwright Alan Spence read an article 'Indecent Exposure' by Vicki Sheil in the Times Education Supplement. He knew then he had to start an education project: My Name Is Tom. With one simple objective, to get young people and adults to talk to each other. Vicki Sheil's reported on a disturbing twist in the communications evolution, resulting in children becoming major consumers of pornography and with mobile phones, had the opportunity to create content, often using their peers as “performers”.

Gemma* appears to a frenzied drum and bass soundtrack and begins to strip. She took the video herself, adding the title and music later.. It was for her boyfriend and when they broke up he sent it to some friends. “She was a pupil at another school, but it came to our school and yes, we’ve all seen it.” *Not her real name.

After reading the article, I told my colleagues...“Teenage relationships had stepped over a very dark and dangerous line”. I had to write a play.

My Name is Tom Education Project - 2016. A typical teenage love story?

Paris fancies Darnell and he fancies her, but he is too shy. Paris doesn’t give up and they finally date, to become the ‘talk of the town’, most of it online and unrepeatable. When Paris’s parents go away, her plans for a romantic evening and a much- needed break from A Level revision, goes all wrong.     

       

  "I'd like to thank the cast of actors for portraying the                       experience of young people’s lives.                   It was very good" St Anne's pupil.

But that production was ten years ago today and playwright Alan Spence, is well aware things have got worse, much worse for many teenagers and their families. The provision of sex education in schools appears to serve everyone, but the people it is supposed to help, young people.

  “This story is current and is one that  affects children, our families and our  society. I guarantee that you or someone you know could relate to this story” 

                                                                                   Parent.

In March 2023, an outcry in Parliament resulted in a review of sex education being brought forward and the responsibility afforded to the Oak National Academy, a company that only came into existence in 2020. The fact that one MP, even one question at Prime Ministers Question Time can bring about such change, while experienced professionals and charities are ignored, even UNESCO.

With a growing problem of STI’s among teenagers, the sextortion of young people ( usually boys) by criminal gangs, the massive reaction to Netflix's TV Drama Adolescence and Stacey Dooley’s Rape on Trial, highlighted the toxic treatment of young women. “I’m not just a victim. I am now a victim of the system, as well.” Ironically, Rape on Trial was broadcast on the same night as the first episode as Adolescence, while that went on to be a national conversation, Rape on Trial, disappeared without trace.

Then there are the recent advances in technology offering deepfake nudes that will strip anyone who appears in a family photo or boys emotionally engaging with a ‘virtual girlfriend, courtesy of Elon Musk’s ‘Ani’. Which provide flirtatious and emotion-ally engaging conversations. And yes, they can strip them.

Alan’s book attempts to address these and other issues in his book, in what he calls a ‘mini-bus’ ride through education, sex education and Drama in the Curriculum from the 1960’s to the present day. Drawing on the expertise of the NSPCC, Sex Education Forum, Oak National Academy and UNESCO, as well as leading theatre practitioners, including Vicky Ireland and Dr Geoff Readman.

This book will also appeal to anyone who has been to school, been a teenager and / or a parent.

The month of February celebrates Safer Internet Day, which began in 2004 as an EU Safe Borders initiative and is now celebrated in some 170 countries world-wide. Alan believes the well-meaning information / safeguards / lessons are not getting through. Further-more, he remembers when he told people about his education project, a couple of reactions stand out; adults invariably said…

“Well good luck with that, then!”

And a Year 10 student, had his own reasons for not wanting parents to be involved and when Alan asked him why? He said…

“Because I don’t want them to know who my friends are, or who I’m having sex with.”

Historically, sex education has always been interpreted around adult experiences or perceptions of, rather than the needs of young people coming to terms with themselves and a world driven by technology; that shows no sign of slowing down or gaining a moral compass. And…that’s why it is time for us to stand up for teenagers.

Alan’s book is available from Amazon and IngramSpark. He can also offer a range of activities for schools, colleges, youth theatres and community organisations such as: assemblies and presentations, meet the playwright q&a’s and screenings of the play.

For more information contact Alan at

Email: theatreisrelife@live.co.uk

Production photographs courtesy of Smoggy Norm Photography.