It happens when you read the news, watch television, or browse a blog. It happens when you go to school, hang out with friends, or read a book. It even happens around your family, in sports, and to people society looks up to. There's no escaping contact with the evil that is so easily accessible to the youth of today. Everywhere teens look, is more evil that will indent on their impressionable minds, and when we see evil, we are more prone to do evil. The difficult part of our situation, is that there is not just one way to encounter evil. It's all around us, and threatening constantly to turn us into monsters, just like the ones we were raised to fear.
Although Frankenstein's monster is a common emblem of evil or fear during Halloween time, in the novel, "Frankenstein", Mary Shelley tells the story of a misunderstood creature, who is judged for his appearance time and time again. Upon looking deeper into the creature's story, we learn that he is not so different from ourselves, but due to tradition, youth learn to fear the big green beast, instead of embracing the similarities that they have with him. The monster explains his first impression of life by saying, "It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half-frightened, as it were instinctively, finding myself so desolate... I was a poor, helpless, miserable, wretch" (Shelley 92). Although the people we come in contact with on a daily basis don't have green skin or ghoulish features, it is easy to relate to the so called "monsters" who do. Just like them, most teens deal with bullying due to their outside characteristics on almost a daily basis. Polls taken in 2010 say that "160,000 kids in the US stay home every day because of bullying" (Zande). This trend of bullying in schools is only escalating as the world grows more and more comfortable with evil in the media and in life.
Another fictional character often subject to critique for his harsh appearance and demeanor is Mr. Hyde. "I had taken a loathing to the gentleman at first sight", comments Mr. Enfield of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Not only does Mr. Enfield base his suspicions of Mr. Hyde on his appearance, but Dr. Jekyll himself comments, "Even as good shone upon the countenance of the one, evil was written broadly and plainly on the face of the other" (Stevenson 65). Dr. Jekyll believes Mr. Hyde to be his darker half, but still a part of him. He understands that one avatar stands tall and respectable while another prompts his bad behavior. "There's no room anymore for quiet and calm and thoughtful reflection. We have made monsters of ourselves" (Gay). Although Dr. Jekyll is careful to quickly retire back to his old self, his body eventually gives itself over entirely to evil. By experimenting with the dark side of himself, Dr. Jekyll almost loses his true identity. Gay continues, "Sometimes it is too easy to know too much about terrible things". Today, just as it took only a small vile of medication for Dr. Jekyll to turn back to Mr. Hyde, it takes only the click of a button for youth to find evil things. Just by living day to day life, we are "guaranteed to come across some evidence of humans behaving violently toward other humans" (Fuentes).
One common target of propaganda focusing on physical appearance is the female youth of today. Although, anyone can be effected by low self confidence, studies show that 91% of women would change one or more things about their bodies if they could, and three fourths of girls with low self esteem engage in self harming activities such as disordered eating, smoking, or drinking (Statistics). Although victims of these harmful activities place blame on themselves, the real blame falls on the beauty industry, and the high expectations that it puts on young girls to look and be the stereotypical "perfect girl". Because most people don't see the media as a monster, like they would a ghost or a mummy, it can be just as dangerous to today's youth as fictional monsters to a movie character. Martin Luther King Jr. says, "Unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
With evil slowly, almost imperceptibly, creeping closer to home, teens must watch carefully for monsters in their everyday lives. The wickedness in today's society cannot be left alone, and must be combated with the strength of today's youth. Ask any high school student or parent and they will tell you that moral corruption among their peers or children's friends is an issue. Whether the struggle is physical or emotional, evil is affecting everyone. "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it" (Einstein).
