Does manga affect teenagers

[Platon Belyalov]

Hello, I am doing a school investigation as to whether or not mangas and anime displaying drinking and smoking have any affect on teenagers or create risk that they will pick up these habits. Please answer if you have 2 minutes. 

[Ryan-trovert]

I'm not a teenager anymore but I remember being one.

I don't smoke or drink but I remember friends who do. They didn't get them from anime or manga.

I think it's not just a one-time exposure thing. You probably need to see it multiple times before you consider trying it.

That's of course just a theory of mine. It's not proven or anything.

[Jellal]

I've never been influenced by TV, movies, anime, manga to smoke or drink. If anything, you get that from behaviors that you're around in real life. Primarily your friend group or possibly family situation.

[Zeref]

I don't see them focus heavy on smoking in animes or mangas I've read and watched. It does show them smoking from time to time but not heavily focused on. Drinking seems to be a common theme in anime but I don't think it's in such a way that it would encourage teenagers to try it. In my opinion what @Jellal said is probably most correct - what that person is experiencing with friends or family irl would have the most effect on if they will try these things. 

[Wickett]

I don't know why we'd single out manga and anime. Any media or literature that glorifies lifestyle choices will increase the potential for people of all ages to try something new. 

[Ayame]

I was never influenced by it to try things like that and I've watched it all my life.

[Moxie]

Nope, never felt influenced by that stuff, whether it was anime or anything else.

[Wickett]

On 6/24/2025 at 3:57 PM, Jellal said:

I've never been influenced by TV, movies, anime, manga to smoke or drink.

 

On 6/24/2025 at 9:26 PM, Ayame said:

I was never influenced by it to try things like that and I've watched it all my life.

 

3 hours ago, Moxie said:

Nope, never felt influenced by that stuff, whether it was anime or anything else.

I feel like some people are lying to themselves in here. We're lifelong fans of some of these anime characters and you want to try and claim that they don't influence you at all? Even if you don't act out smoking or drinking, you never put it together in your head that lighting up a cigarette or sipping a cocktail would be like that cool anime character? Again, this isn't the same as acting it out, just the influence of it.

Edited June 26, 2025 by Wickett

[Colu]

3 hours ago, Wickett said:

 

 

I feel like some people are lying to themselves in here. We're lifelong fans of some of these anime characters and you want to try and claim that they don't influence you at all? Even if you don't act out smoking or drinking, you never put it together in your head that lighting up a cigarette or sipping a cocktail would be like that cool anime character? Again, this isn't the same as acting it out, just the influence of it.

Lmfao so this actually reminds me of the time Andy and I were trying to rewatch Blade Runner (1982) and we never even made it past the first scene with the interrogator because buddy was smoking like a chimney and the whole time both of us were like, “that looks like a fantastic idea!” We finally caved and went out for a smoke because of it haha (irrelevant, but it was a herbal smoke blend and not nicotine)

Or how about another time when we were smoking a joint together and we wound up on pretty much the exact topic of this thread because one of us happened to say we felt like a cool anime character while we were smoking. 
 

Anime/manga/tv/movies aren’t why I smoke, that comes from the environment I live in and my own choices, but they definitely have an influence and absolutely add a “cool” factor. 
 

I don’t think teens will smoke or drink just because they see fictional characters do it, that’s gonna be peer pressure and social settings that makes them actually do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they view it as being cool if they’ve seen a lot of cool fictional characters doing it. 

Oh also just wanted to add, smoking and drinking are seen as “adult” things, makes sense because they’re things for adults. 
What do a lot of teenagers want to be more than anything? Adults, so they can be in charge of their own life. If you smoke or drink as a teenager, would that not then make you an adult?

Obviously that’s not how it works, smoking and drinking doesn’t make you an adult, but it might make a teen feel that much closer to being an adult.

[Wickett]

12 minutes ago, Colu said:

Anime/manga/tv/movies aren’t why I smoke, that comes from the environment I live in and my own choices, but they definitely have an influence and absolutely add a “cool” factor. 
 

I don’t think teens will smoke or drink just because they see fictional characters do it, that’s gonna be peer pressure and social settings that makes them actually do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they view it as being cool if they’ve seen a lot of cool fictional characters doing it. 

Exactly, it isn't that one single scene is going to turn you into a drunk or make you addicted to nicotine, but it's an influence in conjunction with everything else in life, plus genetic predispositions that tilt you in certain directions. I enjoy my bar at home and making drinks and such, which is why scenes like this often pop in my head. It's also cool that I have essentially the exact same drinking glasses.