The piece isn't exactly what I thought it would be. I found the title to be a little misleading, since the piece was not so much "why teens drink" as "what are the consiquences of teen drinking." The narrator seemed unwilling to choose a side, and offered a well researched argument for both sides of the issue, which I found informative but slightly monotone.

Overall, the piece was excellent for informational purposes, but didn't do wonders for me as far as entertainment, although that may not have been it's goal. Editing was excellent, maybe music, ambiance or a way of breaking up the piece a little more effectively would have added something else to it.

This piece starts out interestingly enough.

The interviews were well rounded. You can hear the voices and the emotions of the teens to how they break the law. We hear statistics, and we see the situation... but I don't think this was enough.

I expected a youth oriented piece that embraced the voices of teens. However, what I got was a piece that came down harsh and judgmental on the subjects. Everything from how sharp and harsh the voiceover was to the quick changes between interviews, to the line "Says quote" ... respect was not given to the subjects being interviewed.

What I wanted to hear was something that really examines why teen binge drink. The attitude to the event of drinking was covered, but what was not discussed was the attitude to alcohol itself. What should have been asked was "Do abstainment rules increase desire, and change teen's attitudes to alcohol," or in essence: Did adults cause this?

In the end, it had a lot of good interviews, and it is an interesting take on the story. But I don't feel that it was journalistic enough... it didn't seem fair, and it didn't dig deep enough.

Matt Terrell
Youth Editorial Board
Generation.prx.org