Racial Stereotypes in Youth Media

How does the presence of racial stereotypes in popular TV Culture reflect the structure of society and negatively impact our youth?

Abstract

In the lives of modern children, television is a large component of their psychological development as their minds are the most impressionable. With the increase of youth television, it has given children incentive to choose their favorite TV programs over playing outdoors. But what effect does this media have on the youth, and their perception of themselves and the world around them? Many have researched the impressionability of children, referring to them as “sponges” who absorb everything around them. Therefore, children are also absorbing everything that these programs are perpetuating, both good and bad. Media - like everything else in America - is controlled by the white population from producers to writers. These shows are written through the guise of white privilege and historical supremacy, which our youth is absorbing. A pattern can be followed through all major children’s programs: a white savior lead who can do no wrong, and minority side-kicks who follow harmful typecasts. The real question is where these stereotypes came from, how frequent they appear and their effect on the youth’s development and social awareness. Extensively, these characters specifically have a large impact on young viewers of the same racial identities, in terms of how they viewed themselves and how they fit into society. With the powerful effect of the media, it was clear that negative reflection of minorities was related to low self-esteem issues in younger children. These shows are presented to children as the perfect realities they should want to live in. Minority children have made the connection that in this idealistic world, they are not the main character. They are background characters who trip over themselves to make the white main character look better. We as a society need to recognize that although these programs are entertaining, they're mentally detrimental to our youth.