How Children View Media Stereotypes in Commercials
Sunday, December 4, 2011
  Children are probably the most vulnerable when it comes to advertising and new media. They spend so much time using it but because they haven't learned to filter out unnecessary things they take in everything they see. “'Children's television—like much of children's literature—places white boys at the center of the action...Since commercials factor heavily into children's views of utopia (by tapping into hopes and wishes), children formulate an unrealistic view of the world, one which reinforces the patriarchal, white male ruling class” (Alexander, 1996, p349). Much of television today features a main character or primary character who is white, male and for the most part looks just like other males that are on tv with similar hairstyles, ways of dress and mannerisms. Commercials generally do not feature a character of a different, race, culture or gender as a primary 'character' unless they are trying to sell to a different target audience. “[C]hildren’s television advertising can play a role in how children construct ideas about race, it is critical to have a fair, accurate, and realistic representation of people of color in commercials. This study reflects greater television diversity than studies found a decade ago, but suggests that improvement still is needed” (Solomon, 2004, p64). Children are the most impressionable of all media users and most of the commercials that they see on television, even channels like Nickelodeon which are targeted towards all children who are able to watch television use stereotypes in the media by either reverting to using images and mannerisms in order to pick fun at a certain race even without realizing it.

Image is from sleep-md.blogspot.com
posted by Anonymous at 12:37 AM |

0 Comments:
<< back home

Post a Comment