Movies - TV
The '90s Sci-Fi Movie That Predicted What It Means To Teenager Today
By DANIELLE RYAN
"Disturbing Behavior" is by no means a good movie, but it did create a "Stepford Wives"-inspired metaphor for surviving high school that's surprisingly apt, even today.
Instead of talking to their children or trying to help them be better people, the parents reprogram their kids' brains, which has scary implications in our real world.
Many adults already don't view teens or kids as real people, instead seeing their behavior as a problem to be solved. It's a real nightmare that today's teens know all too well.
"Disturbing Behavior" reveals that the school's psychiatrist is using a brain implant to make the kids behave, turning them from their real selves into J. Crew catalogue zombies.
Outcasts Steve and Rachel face some harrowing experiences at the hands of the transformed teens, but the reprogramming in these instances feels exactly like social conditioning.
As American teens today face prevalent school shootings, abortion bans, and strict LGBTQ+ regulations, it’s easy to think what conservative lawmakers would do with such technology.
Instead of addressing why the teens who act out are doing so, the adults in "Disturbing Behavior" just seek to stop the problem at all costs.
Much like schools fail to address the issues that lead to shootings, the onus of surviving high school intact is placed on teens, which isn’t fair or conducive to a decent future.