History of the debate
Since the late nineteenth century the media has been a cornerstone of
our society. It has, for long periods of time provided the public with
a variety of debates. In social policy the amount of influence the
media has on the public has been at the forefront of intellectual
minds. One of the main groups who have gained the attention of the
media since the outset of the 1950’s is youth in their various
different forms.
These considerations lead to three questions:-
* What pressures are present in the production of media material and
how do these pressures affect what eventually reaches the public
via newspaper reports and other media sources such as television?
* How do the media represent modern youth and how does the
disproportionate amount of media reporting affect public
perceptions on modern youth?
* What lasting affect does this have on our society regarding it’s
actions to the perceived problem and how does this affect youth
cultures in their reactions to the situation
It has been said that the media is influenced by a number of factors
whether it is profit, ownership or politics, which determine the
eventual content of media output. This is in evidence when looking at
the various press reports prior to the 1997 government elections.
Newspapers such as the Sun claimed to support certain political
parties, which coincided with the newspaper owner. After the elections
the newspapers claimed to be an intergral part in the labour
government coming into power. The question that arises is, does this
also apply when reviewing the possible over representation of youth in
the media? And do the media have the same sort of influence when
looking at the public attitudes towards modern youth?
The fact is that the media have the power through selection and
reinforcement to give us very influential portrayals of a whole range
There are many ways the media influences society, but in the 1920’s the main source was newspapers. The New York Times was one of the most popular and prestigious papers of this time and also one of the most influential. Many people had fait in what they read and never second gu...
The media’s influence over the masses of society is great. With every passing generation, the media’s ability to access and relay information to the general public with seemingly the greatest of ease continues to impress. Given the expanse of time that has passed since the 1990s, the media, even more so to this day, shapes our lives, our perceptions, and influences our opinions greatly. The 1990s served as an important decade in our country’s young history. Since the mid-1800s, and even before that time, our country has experienced its share of societal issues, from racism to sexism, to religious bigotry, and police brutality, to name a few.
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the British youth generation, especially those British films and TV series. Media analysts pointed out that people absorbed the information transmitted from media texts, which might have an impact on the audiences’ behaviour. That is to say, the representation of media texts plays an important role in the society. In lots of British media texts, such as Kidulthood and Skins which are going to be compared and contrasted in this paper, the image of British youth generation is depicted as juvenile, violent, aggressive, idle, drugs addictive, having sexual behavior in early adolescence and causing trouble to the community. Therefore, this present study is not only aimed at finding the similarities and the differences of the representations of social class and youth in both childhood and skin, but also at exploring the possible effects of these representations.
Statistics however, have proven that youths are in fact hardworking and responsible with a large portion of the demographic participating in online petitions, charity donations and awareness campaigns. The negative portrayal used by mass media is a leverage for gaining greater attention and more views. From research conducted on the effects of negative versus positive media, researchers have found that individuals exhibit greater attention towards negative information. In addition, as a result of the negative bias (negativity effect) negative information have a tendency of perpetuating for much longer periods of time compared to positive information. As a result of these factors, stereotyping and negative depictions have made it increasingly difficult for teenagers to find opportunities of employment. Furthermore, as a result of the continuous negative labeling, many youths are beginning to depict a lack in optimism and confidence which, if not properly addressed, may result in severe mental health issues. While mass media is very likely to continue their coverages on negative news, many youths however, are demanding change to the system. With continuous activism demanding equal representation, it is possible that the media will revoke their current approaches in the foreseeable
Nowadays, a standard stage of growing up is feeling the stress of one’s body image due to the growing pressure from society and media. In 2012 there was a survey that said “A full 50 percent of children from 8 to 10 years old report being ‘unhappy’ with their bodies” (ProQuest Staff). This is because when girls are growing up they see models/ actresses on TV and magazines that are thin and look beautiful and they think that’s what they are supposed to look like; unfortunately this is unrealistic. In 2006 there was a fashion model named Luise Ramos who died of a heart attack moments after she steps off the runway during fashion week in Montevideo (ProQuest Staff). News accounts later report that Ramos, 22, had been eating only lettuce and diet
Looking the historical moment we are living at, it is undeniable that the media plays a crucial role on who we are both as individuals and as a society, and how we look at the...
The issue of the relationship between the mass media and the popular culture has always been a controversial issue in social sciences. The political economists insist on the role of the media industry in the creation of this phenomenon of the twentieth century. Though, advocates such as John Fiske, argue that popular culture is actually the creation of the populous itself, and is independent of the capitalist production process of the communication sector. Basing his argument on the immense interpretive power of the people, Fiske believes that the audience is able to break all the indented meanings within a media message. He also believes- by giving new meanings to that specific message they can oppose the power block that is trying to impose its ideology to the public. Consequently, this anarchistic activity of the audience creates the popular culture as a defence mechanism. Even when we accept Fiske’s ideas, we can not disregard the manipulative power of the media and its effects on cultural and social life.
The Representation of Children in the Media I am writing about how children are represented in the media, after a group investigation carried out to see how they are portrayed in different papers; local newspapers, tabloids and broadsheets. We were looking to see if newspapers showed positive or negative images of children and how they portrayed them in general. In local papers there are usually articles of local news from around the area, items for sale and advertisements. Local papers highlight local stories and issues. Local papers usually have the scores or information about local teams in the sport section.
Have you ever met someone who acted just as teens are stereotyped? Not many people have because they do not exist. Real teens are poorly portrayed in the media and are the complete opposite of their stereotypes. Books and TV shows make teens out to be wild or crazy, irresponsible and out of control. One hardly ever hears about teen-heroes. Instead, newspapers and magazines are plastered with stories of teens and crime. And while looking at commercial billboards and other related media, the regular teen seems to be sex-crazed and image-obsessed.
Clark, C, Ghosh, A, Green, E, Shariff,N. (n.d) Media Portrayal of Young People – impact and influences. [Internet], UK, Young Researcher Network. Available from: [Accessed 2nd January 2012]
The media, including television programming, cartoons, film, the news, as well as literature and magazines, is a very powerful and pervasive medium for expression. It can reach a large number of people and convey ideas, cultural norms, stereotypic roles, power relationships, ethics, and values. Through these messages, the mass media may have a strong influence on individual behavior, views, and values, as well as in shaping national character and culture. Although there is a great potential for the media to have a positive and affirming effect on the public and society at large, there may be important negative consequences when the messages conveyed are harmful, destructive, or violent.
Males, Mike (1994). “ Bashing Youth: Media Myths about Teenagers”. Online at: , consulted on March/April, 1994.
There is an association between the development of mass media and social change, although the degree and direction of this association is still debated upon even after years of study into media influence. Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have been attributed to the mass media, are almost undoubtedly due to other tendencies within society. Few sociologists would refute the importance of the mass media, and mass communications as a whole, as being a major factor in the construction and circulation of social understanding and social imagery in modern societies. Therefore it is argued that the mass media is used as “an instrument”, both more powerful and more flexible than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
The mass media has played a key role in shaping people’s lives. The modern society’s use of mass media including TV, radio, newspaper, as well as print media has largely influenced people’s ideas regarding themselves and the society at large. This is evident from their behavior towards themselves and their community as well as their treatment of the environment. While some experts believe that the media is to blame for most of the negative behavioral traits among the active members of society, the majority agree that the media makes people understand and develop a positive sense of association with their society within which they live, making it easy for them to identify and get their role in it.
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses” (Thinkexist, 2010). The mass media, including news, movies, magazines, music, or other entertainment source has become a part of daily life for many people. As the quote mentions mass media and its power are capable of influencing people’s mind and behavior. Contents in the media introduced to young people make it difficult for them to distinguish between what is real and what is not, as a result stimulating confusion and blind imitation. The mass media plays an important role in the increase of violence, sexual activity, and risky behaviors among teenagers.