Sunday, February 2, 2014

Unlearning the Myths

I really had no idea what I was going to be reading about in this article. I figured it would drag on. But as I read the more I wanted to continue reading. As a kid I remember watching the princess movies and the boys were always playing baseball such as in The Sandlot. As I grew older the idea of how the media affects young children was tossed around and it makes you think. Young children are not conscious of the underlying  messages that they view on a daily basis. 

Young girls are constantly seeing princesses and skinny pretty girls always getting they guy. They grow up believing these stereotypes and have ideas of what they "should" look like and act like. Young boys are viewing baseball and football movies and see the popular cute boy getting the girlfriend and the dorky boys get left in the dust. Boys are also held to a certain stereotype to not be nerdy and to go to the gym and get muscles. 

These stereotypes and ideologies are so subliminal that most adults don't even realize them. Children view them everywhere from commercials on TV to pictures in school textbooks. Unfortunately these messages have become such a big part of life there is nothing we can do to prevent it. The only thing we can do is as adults, teach the children how to think and analyze using their own minds and avoiding the influence of the media. 


6 comments:

  1. I completely agree with you, our only option as adults is to help avoid the influence of media on our children.

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  2. I like how you talked about stereotypes from the male and female perspective. Growing up both sexes are being influenced and they each have their fair amounts of dealing with the pressure society brings.

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  3. the stereotypical gender roles that still exist today boggles me! i hope for a future where if a little boy wants to play with barbies shouldn't be questioned or told to "man up"

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  4. SO TRUE!!! Sad that children think that all of these views are right, and the worst part is, it doesn't change as we age...middle school, highschool, college - all the same!

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  5. I agree that our job now is to help avoid this manipulation of the media on children, but I guess I am just still struggling with how to do so.

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  6. I agree! It is all subliminal and even parents do not think anything of it. But this article pointed it out to us and now we know to do our best to let children know that they can be whoever they want to be.

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