Twilight's Influence | Teen Ink

Twilight's Influence

January 10, 2010
By basktbalfreak247 SILVER, Houston, Texas
basktbalfreak247 SILVER, Houston, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Last year, the book Twilight sold over twenty two million copies. The romance between a vampire and a mortal girl caught they eyes of teenage girls everywhere, but what kind of role did this play in society and how did it affect its readers?
The book focuses on the love between two characters, Edward and Bella. Edward’s “sense of honor, chivalry, composure, and self- control” is what attracts Bella and most girls who have read Twilight to him (Mann). His bold features have made him become the fixation of teenage girls everywhere. The only problem with this is that some girls are becoming too engrossed in him, so much so that they are dreaming about him, pretending to talk to him and even planning their future weddings with him. Most of the time the relationships they are pretending to have with this star affects their social skills and their “other relationships in their lives” (examinar.com).
Most girls adore guys that are muscular, attractive, intellectual, and somewhat dangerous or on the wild side and that’s what girls find so striking about Edward. Once girls figure out qualities in a guy that attract them, they start to look for them in different guys. Some girls have watched how Edward acts in the movie and are now looking for qualities that Edward shows. This can be a problem though because some qualities that Edward portrays are not so appealing. He is somewhat abusive to Bella when he gets a temper because of his great amount of strength, this could lead to girls potentially “seek[ing] out abusive mates” (examinar.com).

Some teens on the other hand agree that Twilight has positively influenced their life. They believe it has had a positive influence on their reading skills and their wanting to read. Some say that Twilight has great morals and that their kids love the books so much that they are reading them over and over. In one blog, supportive mom comments, “I see how these books have POSITIVELY influenced my female/ male students as well. Let the kids live and dream a bit” (Examinar.com).

The problem with the kids reading Twilight is that since they love the book so much they want to read the whole series and in the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, there is a lot of immoral conduct. Some kids are mature enough to know what is right and wrong, but the majority of the kids who will read this series and have read this series don’t realize what kinds of consequences the things Edward and Bella do can have on us in the real world. The fact that the kids enjoy reading the books over and over doesn’t help either because most of these kids aren’t thinking about the aftermath effects of some of the things Edward and Bella do together, like running away from her father’s house or being sexually involved with each other before marriage. It is the parents job to tell the kids what is right and wrong and without the parents help, kids will not get the proper instruction on what is wrong and what is right.

Immorality is a big part of these books and its influence on children can be extremely awful if parents don’t tell them what they need to learn. I think it is pretty clear that Twilight has had more of a negative influence on society than a positive one.


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This article has 10 comments.


on Sep. 30 2012 at 3:30 pm
A lot of books have immoral conduct.....what your point? This is whole article is ignorant, because first of all, in the paragraph talking about Bella & Edward "running away and having pre-martial sex" is FALSE. If you read Breaking Dawn, or even watch the movie, they actually get married first, and on their honeymoon they have sex. That's my first problem with this article. My second problem, is that not every girl who reads Twilight is going to be mentally corrupt. I've read it a bunch of times and I think i'm pretty sane. Girls have fake weddingd for Justin Bieber too.....again, WHAT IS YOUR POINT? Twilight is a FICTION novel.....kids can be allowed to dream and fantasize.

on Aug. 21 2012 at 2:33 pm
foreverSmall PLATINUM, Brighton, Michigan
23 articles 0 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
Psalm 23:2-4

I agree 100%

on Jan. 1 2012 at 9:29 am
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

But I don't see why there is reason to enjoy them. Bella doesn't even seem concerned when Edward admits he killed people while he was still a new vampire. She doesn't give any thought to the lives he took.

on Jan. 1 2012 at 9:25 am
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

I think it's true that most girls want a guy who is slightly dangerous or at least appears dangerous. There are certain limits to that though... like the guy wanting to kill you and suck your blood.

on Dec. 23 2010 at 4:37 pm
Musicfeedsthesoul07 PLATINUM, Naperville, Illinois
25 articles 0 photos 95 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. " - Bill Gates

Wohooo! Totally agree.

Twilight is a watered down waste of paper, Edward is a creeper, Bella is a ditz and Jacob doesn't know how to take a hint.

Potter is amazing!!!!


on Dec. 23 2010 at 9:28 am
UNKNOWN........, Coon Rapids, Minnesota
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
the only thing we have to fear is fear itself... and spiders

:) good wording!

i agree


AdamzOwl said...
on Dec. 1 2010 at 12:07 pm
TEAM POTTER ALL THE WAY!!!

on Feb. 18 2010 at 7:49 pm
caitlin.calamity BRONZE, Houston, Texas
1 article 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.
-Bruce Barton

Personally, I don't think these books are immoral; kind of lacking in substance, but definitely not immoral. And considering that most people who read these books are in their teens, I'm positive they've seen or heard worse than Bella and Edward having sex . The book doesn't even go into detail about what goes on. If anyone finds these books immoral, they just shouldn't read it. The Twilight books really aren't immoral, in fact, even though these books pretty much suck in my view, they are a good thing for the people who do enjoy them.

on Feb. 18 2010 at 7:00 pm
Kristy_loves_Keats PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
23 articles 0 photos 99 comments
I hate Edward i like Jacob but im probly helping you prove your point so ya well i like this article and reed my poem there are more on the way thank you!

on Jan. 27 2010 at 4:11 pm
Lindsey.L SILVER, New York, California
9 articles 4 photos 10 comments
wow. This is so true. I was obsessed with the twilight series, especially Edward. After reading the books, I found my expectations for guys to be so much more.