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Should TV be more diverse
Role of media in human and society development
Impact of media on child development
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American children, on average, spend more time watching television programs than they do engaging with adults, siblings, or attending school (Feldman, Coats, & Spielman, 1996). This finding introduces the challenge for big networks to use television to positively guide children’s social learning while they are home from school. Studies have shown that even a brief exposure to television can produce positive effects on learning during childhood (Rice and Woodsmall, 1998), and television programming can also positively influence pro-social behaviors and gender-role concepts (Forge & Phemister, 1987, Mares & Woodward, 2001, O’Bryant & Corder-Bolz, 1978 and Signorelli, 2001). Furthermore, many of the existing educational programs directed at young children aim to influence attitudes relating to racial prejudice (Persson & Musher-Eizenman, 2003). If mainstream networks had psychological research to back up their efforts, then television for children could be as socially awakening as it is relaxing.
In fact for the past three years networks like Fox, FX, and Fox Searchlight Studios have been holding periodic “diversity sessions”, during which they pitch roles for minority characters for their upcoming shows (Deggens, 2013). The results of these sessions vary from changing an existing Caucasian character’s ethnicity to pushing for strong roles designed specially for an actor of color. This routine is rooted in their business concept that an increase in diversity will attract younger viewers and produce stronger ratings (Deggens, 2013). In the past year, some critics have been skeptical of these sessions, as this past fall Fox released a series called Dads, in which all jokes surrounding the minority-race actors are based on ...
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...e a stronger emphasis on the message that any individual can be a strong and positive character, instead of pointing out weaknesses. By not acknowledging culturally stereotyped differences, and by giving minority protagonists positive role-model-type characters, racial equality education could be more effective.
In sum, this study aims to test if an updated set of criteria will influence a change in preschooler’s racial attitudes: (a) the episode includes multiple characters of differing races, (b) positive similarities are stressed between characters of different racial backgrounds, (c) the pro-diversity message is subtle, not explicit, (d) the plot is simple, relatable and interesting, and lastly, (e) all characters should be portrayed as equal in regards to their status amongst each other, emphasizing individual character’s most positive characteristics.
It explains how a child’s mind can be formed by what they see on television, whether it be for the greater good, or for the worst. Children are at a young age causing their minds to be easily molded making television’s racial judgement more simple to pick up on. For example, the biased opinions and behavioral stereotypes they believe to be pursued correct at an easier doing. Television acts as a main model to shape their views and judgement on how others who are different than them should be treated and
When I was growing up, I recalled there was a show on Disney Channel titled “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”. It was about these twin boys who lived in a Five-Star hotel. From my youth, I remember the show did quite a bit to break stereotypes with many different minority groups. One example I could remember quite clearly was an Asian girl named London, who was, for lack of a better word, dumb. I decided to re-watch the first episode of this show, and pay close attention to London’s character as well as how Asians are generally portrayed.
During the semester, race is a big part of the lectures. In class, we talk about how race is distinguishing physical characteristics used to place people in different racial categories (Jensen). The biggest concern with race is racial inequality. Racial inequality is the inadequate or unfair treatment of minorities in areas like income, education, employment, health, the criminal justice system, and media. The article written by Rebecca Keegan from the Los Angeles Times newspaper discusses the inequality of race in media specifically movies. This article relates to the unfairness in films because minorities are poorly portrayed in the majority of films. More often than not, minorities are the “bad guys” in films. They are caught up in criminal activity and live in poorer neighborhoods than the majority. The article gives numerous statistics proving and exploiting that there is indeed racial inequality depicted in films. Also the Keegan touches on how minorities are underrepresented in films in the way that they usually do not have as many speaking lines compared to the white actor/actress.
Clifford, Brian R., Barrie Gunter, and Jill L. McAleer. Television and Children: Program Evaluation, Comprehension, and Impact. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1995. Print.
Black actors, since the beginning of cinema have struggled to get the attention and credit from the Academy. Several times, my personal heroes where forced to compromise their grandiose acting ability for small “mammy” and “sambo” characters. We were forced to the back and never really given a chance to shine in the spotlight. Discrimination against African Americans even plagued children’s cartoons.
Pauker, Kristin, Nalini Ambady and Evan P. Apfelbaum. "Race Salience and Essentailist Thinking in Racial Stereotypes Development." Child Development (2010): 1799-1813.
Directors and writers should be very careful about the detail, content and portrayal of people in the movies. How they portray the roles and the movies influences children’s beliefs and thoughts about ethnicities and cultures. A movie called “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” from 1961 is a great example which has changed the way children think of Asian people in real life. Mickey Rooney is an American actor who played an Asian man character with yelllowface makeup in this movie. The character was portrayed as a bucktoothed nerd Japanese guy. Children who watched the movie might receive wrong awareness about Japanese people. They would think that all Japanese are stupid and look funny like the Japanese character played in the movie. Some people argue that it is all about entertainment and there is no need to take it seriously because nothing is personal. No matter what the movie’s initial intention is, it has bad effect on children which is a big problem in the world where diverse people live together. The wrong stereotyped awareness will be self-perpetuating once it starts to be ingrained in children’s mind. Hollywood movies misrepresent ethnicities to some extent and that can give wrong awareness about them to the
At the end of the NPR article they discuss the problem between keeping television shows diverse, “without amplifying the problems of stereotyping and prejudice” (Feld). Television shows feel that in order to a successful show with diversity, the people need to be cast-typed or take on every stereotype that is associated with that particular race or gender. The Erigha article discusses how, “many of actors were type-casted, or put in racialized roles, that fit their ethnicity” and some of these people do not necessarily fit that type, “they used Asian Actors as an example, many of the actors that were born in America, were asked to speak in a Chinese accent.”
When people vote the most famous Hollywood movie in 2009, most of them pick the movie, Avatar. Over 40 million people watched the movie. Some people like the Avatar because of the beautiful graphic design and showing a wonderful planet. However, others see the movie as a racist movie. Why? In Race Relations Light Years from Earth, Mitu Sengupta, the author of the article, assumes that Hollywood shows patterns to market their films that could produce stereotypes such as race and gender stereotypes. The “White Messiah” stereotype can be seen in the Hollywood movies. The best example of the “White Messiah” movie is Avatar. Avatar is a racist film because Jake Sully, a former U.S. Marine in the movie, stands for native aliens and fights against the U.S. army like a “White Messiah.” This means white characters always save nonwhite characters from dangers. Some people might say that Hollywood helps directors to develop and create better movies; however, Hollywood movies are still stuck in simplistic roles and
Children today are experiencing more technological advances than any other generation. With the development of iPhones, iPads, tablets, and so much more, children are learning to ways to discover the world. Some critics say television is exploiting children and their young minds, “ “In addition, “adult” programming on television (not to mention in films and on the Internet) carries grown-up concerns such as sex, drugs, and violence into young people’s lives” (Society pg. 101). Others argue that television can help kids learn in a fun and engaging way. Looking at television through a sociological aspect we can see three sociological aspects of the power of television. These include education, behavior, and a social change.
All to often racial minorities or queer characters are “Given secondary or tertiary storylines that can be thrown away” (Butler), this is because of the possibility of the viewers negatively reacting to characters that do not fit the norm. However, the creation of characters that do not fit in mold of being white, straight, or the stereotypical man or woman, are progressive and can challenge the different roles of society. Having a diverse cast, or a lead minority character allows for the better representation of minority and queer groups of people, which further enables the breakdown of the damaging roles that society
With the lack of representation that we have in today’s media, it takes away the voice that smaller groups have to express themselves in a safe environment. The act of being a member of a less represented, or even misrepresented, minority and being able to speak out can help normalize the group to the general public. According to Natalie Dulka, a freshman at Concordia University, ”Diversity in media can be a way for less understood and underrepresented groups,
Research showed that children by the age of sixteen, have spent more time and energy watching the TV than going to school. (Levine & Munsch, 2011). Television is perhaps the most significant form of media in shaping ideas of culture. The bias and stereotypes behaviors and attitudes about a culture that television portrays in films and advertisement affect the children perception. Research has shown that pre-school children spend an average of thirty hours per week watching television. Therefore, it is not surprising that children gain particular perception and ideas from this television experience concerning different cultures (Levine & Munsch , 2011).
Representation in comics has been a growing source of controversy in recent years with many questioning whether the creator and audience demographics were representative (Kirkpatrick, Scott, 2015, 120-124). For a long time, comics were drawn by white men for white boys this evident by looking back at the classic heroes of early issues. Many of the original superheroes were (or drawn to appear as) straight white men because that was the perspective that the writers knew (Barnett, 2015). Eventually, the writers began to branch out their characters but even then the earliest characters suffered from misrepresentation. In order to avoid any further false representation, the characters need to come from actual perspectives. It seems that comic book companies have seen what needs to be done because “Both (Marvel and DC) are bringing in more marginalized voices as creators, hiring more women, more people of color, people from religious minorities, and QUILTBAG people”(Underwood, 2015). With a wide array of voices each with different writers have been able to create and will continue to create a plethora of characters and stories.
In the United States, 96.7 percent of American households own television sets (Nielsen, 2011). Whether it is watching the news to catch up on what is going on in the world, or checking the road conditions for the morning rush hour; television has become a necessity in every household. Television gives people the ability to take a break from life and melt away into a different world. Children in particular, have become overly attached to TV. In many cases children are being left in front of the television for hours to entertain themselves. Children learn from what see adults and other children do. Parents or guardians must take the proper steps to become a more effective role model by changing their own habits and lifestyles. What can be done to reach out to parents and children to help them take the needed steps to lead a better and more productive life? Television teaches important life skills, but creates a bad influence on children’s behavior because of inappropriate content and the sedentary lifestyle it creates.