Stereotypes Gifted Children

1905 Words4 Pages

Stereotypes have become a key aspect in TV and movies, especially in children’s movies and TV. The stereotype of the “smart kid” has become especially prevalent in kids shows. Gifted children are most often presented as high achieving, creative individuals with different emphasises being placed on either the stereotypical “gifted traits” such as annoying, unathletic, and unpopular, or their creativity being displayed prominently and often being used as the main plot driver. The harmony hypothesis is also commonly found in gifted children in the media as well as the disharmony hypothesis. These differing approaches result in a societal disconnect in views about gifted children as well as a disjunction in gifted children's own self perception. …show more content…

This small number most likely explains why the portrayal of gifted children in the media is so far from reality. The characteristics of gifted children include rapid learning, intense feelings about certain topics, abstract thinking and extreme curiosity, among other things (NAGC 1). These characteristics are commonly used by professionals to identify gifted individuals; however, these characteristics will often get construed into the more “annoying” traits seen in gifted stereotypes. Stereotypical views of gifted children center around the idea that gifted kids are smart and that is the only aspect of their personality. Stereotypes focus on reinforcing the idea that gifted kids are unathletic, unpopular, annoying, and frequently bullied by their peers. These stereotypes are frequently used in children’s media as a means of simplifying the complexities of being gifted and making it easier for kids to understand the concept of the TV show without having to go incredibly in depth. These labels can lead to a negative connotation by gifted children who do not want to be …show more content…

Farm. In both of these shows, the gifted children are seen as outcasts or annoying for simply demonstrating their advanced knowledge. In A.N.T. Farm, Olive Doyle, one of the girls in the gifted program, has an eidetic memory and this trait is frequently shown throughout the show as annoying or disliked by the people around her. Her ability to remember facts and accurately spit them back out again creates several issues for her in finding her place amongst the social hierarchy. She is seen as an annoying, smart, awkward kid and this representation is a culmination of stereotypical gifted traits. This show is set in a high school and because of this, the show’s stereotypical views of gifted kids and their social abilities is even clearer. This emphasis on sticking to the stereotypes in the show rather then following a more accurate portrayal makes the show more dramatic and entertaining; however, it does nothing to relate to the young gifted viewers it has. Jessie, unlike A.N.T Farm, does not make gifted kids an integral part of its plot, instead it uses only one main gifted character. This use of one gifted character increases the use and effect of stereotypes because there are not any other gifted kids to diffuse the other stereotypes onto. The gifted kid, Ravi Ross, is seen as unathletic, nerdy, and smart, and because of this he is bullied a lot and taken advantage of.

Open Document