Age in the media

• Representations of age

  • Functionalists argue that these representations are an essential part of the socialisation process
  • Mass media functions to equip children and young people with appropriate values and norms required to be good citizens
  • Media stories about children and young people reinforce social expectations as to how those groups should behave and, importantly, what happens to them when they do not
  • Help to control the behaviour of young people socially
• Childhood

  • Cute - babies and toddlers eg. Pampers adverts
  • Consumers - pester power and advertisements on the TV. Parents are forced to buy the latest products for their children and often force poor parents into debt eg. Veruca Salt
  • Little angels - idealised way, innocent and no malice eg. Perfect Peter
  • Little devils - children seen as 'cheeky monkeys' but are appealing and naughty eg. Bart Simpson
  • Victims eg. Madeline McCann
  • Prodigies eg. Young Sheldon
  • Acessories eg. Toddlers 'n' Tiaras
• Childhood - Heintz-Knowles

  • Study of children on television found that children are often portrayed as motivated primarily by peer relationships, sports or religious issues
  • Rarely shown as coping with societal issues such as racism or with major family issues such as child abuse and domestic violence
  • 40% of television drama, nevertheless, depicted children engaged in anti-social actions, such as lying and bullying
  • EVALUATION - more recently, there are more drama issues being represented
• Childhood

  • Children are also represented in TV commercials in ways that socialise them to become active consumers
  • encouraged by television advertising and film merchandising to have an appetite for toys and games
  • Evans and Chandler - emergence of pester power
• Youth

  • There is a whole media industry aimed at socially constructing youth in terms of lifestyle and identity
  • Magazines, record companies, mobile phone companies all targeted at young people