https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTZk4_sDM5VQVITdt7DNe4iB6nFKBm8vgEIt680UkXZhbNsR8FqfIEOxl_yjY9fF5lCEPx9ZIkT3PD-/pub
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSjGGdcsXSzM8EDm4QCCa4BY0xV3cz1iiG-0RD4ORcym5v_h1B_wT4saiBQGUHXYZzyaRKn9H-jsT3x/pub
The two groups of teenagers represented are pre-teens and the older teens. At the beginning of the episode, we see that the group of boys are stereotypical nerds, who have a strong interest in the board game ‘Dungeons and Dragons’. This suggests that they may not be the most popular kids at school as they would much rather stay in for long periods of time to play a board game rather than go out. Whilst playing the board game, we see that they are extremely engaged in the activity through the slow panning and extreme close ups of the boy’s facial expressions, completely concentrated in their role within the game. This representation is further shown with the boys’ knowledge of comic books, superheroes and sci-fi which are typically related to characters who are quite geeky, especially in the 80s. However, the show chooses to subvert the nerdy stereotype by portraying the boys as strong, confident and brave. Mike is portrayed as the leader of the group. Dustin is depicted as confident, when faced with bullies, he defends himself. Will’s courage is shown through his ability to keep a clear head when faced with the monster, and incentive to grab the gun when chased. All these aspects of the storyline are typical of modern shows, in which teenagers are often tasked with defeating the antagonists, perhaps as a reflection on current societal issues.