How Does the Media Stereotype You - Research Paper Example

HOW DOES THE MEDIA STEREOTYPE YOU? Technological improvements in the media have caused it to become one of the greatest aspects influencing stereotypes (Martin, 4). This is because the media has incredibly influenced understanding and opinions hence resulting to differences in global awareness. Stereotypes created by media appear in different aspects of gender, ethnic, religious and culture. However, the media can be of good influences as well as negative ones (Het, 7). For instance, the media is able to disseminate messages that are able to reinforce and create negative stereotypes as well as perpetuate misconceptions. It can also work against mutual understanding and cause a frustration in dialogue. Stereotypes play incredibly significant roles aspects related to propaganda in the current society. Since stereotypes are generalizations of basic or complex applications that groups or individuals follow based on appearances, beliefs or behaviors? Although the world is quickly improving from old ways, stereotyping has proved a difficult aspect to eliminate. Stereotypes having existed since the beginning of times, it has been known to influence politics, religion, and the media. In the media, humans use stereotypes to show humor, show beliefs or even in describing others (Branston 23). In most cases, they bring about both negative and positive changes with impacts on the media viewers. The media more often than not mislead people because of the nature of using stereotypes and misinterpreting others. Never, the less, people in the society still have significant belief in them and still accept the stories as portrayed. As stated above, media has the obvious stereotypes categorized in four groups that include ethical prejudice, racism, sexism and religious prejudice. Although other additions are based on fat people as slothful slobs, professors as absent minded people and those that are out of touch, journalists as people with scruples, politicians as unethical and sleazy, and students as arrogant and lazy boozers( Martin, 6). In my opinion, these stereotypes are created in the midst of people probably in different groups but the media plays the role of distributing, sustaining and demonizing stereotypes. In the case of sustaining, they embrace on continuous reporting that is based on referencing the stereotyped aspect, which in other cases could have vanished. In distributing, they ensure a small aspect or a characteristic of a group is widely known in the entire world causing each person to associate globally that aspect with the people, hence stereotyping. However, in my opinion, the distributing factor is beneficial to both the groups since the stereotyped group might seek to emulate the behavior as reported or choose to live as they used to (Hujer, 7). Demonizing is the worst form of media stereotyping since it involves, identifying a certain group for instance, a minority group and pinning down blames upon them. This is difficult when done to single individual or unclear groups. However, as soon as a group is identified, targeting them on certain specification becomes incredibly easy. In this case, the media success is all about selling out ideas to viewers and that which sells most is termed as the best, even if a type of stereotype. Since entertainment was launched on to the media services, they have continually build and created stereotypes as well as feeding onto them (Martin, 5). However, it is important to note that media has gradually changed from the traditional to non-traditional medias where two different paradigms are offered sets of interesting perspectives. In my opinion, those that were and are still referred to as stereotypes are not stereotypes anymore. When thought in the perspective of media, they are process centric progression strategies that are associated in the current world. This only proves that, the current world has turned to be that of uncertainty, change and flux and it is essential to have this perspective and take happenings similarly. There is nothing wrong about stereotypes in the case where promotion of reality is ensured and enhances historical and social processes. Take for instance, the stereotypes about men and women as different creatures where women are caring and warm. This stereotype has been followed by a sociological belief that all women must in every fact own aspect of care and a feeling of being warm. Similarly, stereotyping men as agented and strong has seeing the social individual require them to act as so in the community (Het, 8) . For this reason, stereotypes based on gender roles can be stipulated as those affecting social roles. Men have been portrayed as of different classes inclusive of gay and straight ones in both traditional and non-traditional Medias. Men portrayed as of gay nature are considered effeminate and flamboyant whereas those of straight nature are believed to be strong as stated above. These categories are a representation of the barriers of gays and the rest of the men in the society. Comparing men and women in relation to beer taking and the manner of stereotyping, men that are considered beer-lovers are always sexually active (Lawe, 17). On the other hand, women who have the attitude of regularly indulging into alcohol consumption are always considered prostitutes. Similarly, those women who are crazy about making their families successful are stereotyped as lovers of shopping and are unprofessionally active. The biggest question is based on the concept of roles in the society with close reference to those having undesirable qualities. Some stereotypes are considered convenient although a number of them too create barriers. For instance, the media has pictured the roles of politicians and their different propagandas. Despite these facts and mannerisms involved in the media, it is essential to identify that some of the stereotypes are based on facts. For this reason, people should avoid misjudging every aspect portrayed in the media but should give a closer look at the inner meanings. Gender as represented by the media The media is proving to be a powerful force when it comes to shaping the world. The media is today playing a big role in influencing the identity of many people. This phenomenon is depicting in terms of racial, class based stereotypes and gender among other aspects. From this perspective we come to understand the daily endeavors that we go through courtesy of the numerous images that we come through from the media. Apparently, these images are only responsible for playing one role; determining what we think we should be like ( Het, 8). These scenarios will influence whether we should behave like a particular woman or man or the kinds of treatments we should accord to others. Our thoughts have today come to depend on the media. These images have come to worsen the kinds of stereotypes we have in our lives. It becomes a situation where we have to live to a certain expectation failure to which we lose meaning in our lives and our worlds come crushing to the ground. The gender portrays in the media today largely affect our ways of living today. It has now become a matter of taking control of our lives from an individual perspective. Apparently, we are all aware of the intelligence levels that women may possess. Today, there are numerous prosperous women in our societies. This is from the perspective of education with women qualifying in very involving jobs. There are very many represented, diverse and strong women in our society of which the media fails to recognize and appreciate (Martin, 4). Little of their efforts is appreciated nor commented on in the media; in fact very minute aspects of the latter are depicted. Instead, the media gives a very contradicting picture on the same. Women are shown in the perspective of second-class citizens, mainly as sexual figures in a very unrealistic and exaggerated manner. It is like the initial notion of women remaining inferior when compared to men by society has already passed away. The media takes very little effort on such kind of agendas. For instance, it has turned out today that for adverts targeting males: the woman will be brought in a manner suggesting that she is a supplement to the male. This aspect will depict in various ways but the main orientation will be directed at giving a sexual imagery. Another example is the currently video games that are in the market today. Women take the roles involving less representation with the male icons in the game taking the main characters in the game. We see pictures of inappropriately dressed women in a very stereotypical manner (Lawe, 18). The constituents that make up media Media is widely depicted in broadcast forms that mainly include radio and television programs. The latter are broad casted over frequency bands that depend on regulations from the federal communications commission. The broadcasts involve the transmission of several programs in a simultaneous manner through a number of frequencies or channels. On the other hand, film plays the same role in encompassing motion pictures. This involves movies like silver screens, cinemas, photoplays and flicks. The film is a crucial aspect in media as it widely plays many roles inclusive of educating, enlightening, entertaining and inspiring their audiences (Het, 8). Films have of late began adapting to global perceptions especially thorough the incorporation of subtitles and dubbing aspects in which the message in the movie is translated. Today, we learn about different cultures around the world in a very involving manner such that most of us have abandoned our initial cultures for the new ones we have come to learn about. Media also widely reaches us through video games where controlled computer games are displayed on televisions or monitors. The games involve the use of joysticks, keyboards with the current incorporation esoteric devices in the same aspect. The game involves goals and rules with most games allowing the player to do whatever they wish for but within their virtual world. Another stereotype represented in the media is the dependence of women to men in almost all situations. This is shown in the mannerisms where men are always at the front in helping their female counterparts in attaining success. In the real sense, most of the women depicted in most successful businesses had their ideas and developed them by themselves, but those few shown in the media, show that they had to depend on the men. The representation of men as high goal achievers and women as the dependant ones for success is a stereotype shown or rather depicted in all movies all over the world (Chomsky 54). Media has of late adapted to the internet form where by computers are interconnected in a mass web around the globe. People can share files, emails, chat online and download music and videos free of charge (Lawe, 18). Through the internet, the world has indeed turned into a small village. Social sites for instance have united the entire world in a unique manner. Taking face book for instance, people around the world can finds friends all over the world. They can share ideas and pictures in a very natural manner as though in reality. People are being employed through the internet as news spreads within seconds. A lot of information is at the exposure of a lot of people in manner that the world seems to be adapting into becoming one big society following a particular culture. The media has played a big role in determining the kinds of life we live today. Everything in our lifestyles has changed in the orientation of the media (Press, 66). The media is capable of ensuring that the societies are mirrored as they are reflected in the ideal world among all individuals. However, it is quite worrying whether stereotypes in the media can really seize since getting rid of one, paves way for another. People should be able to recognize the true characteristics and those that are considered stereotypes. Works cited Het, Dennis. "Media." Journal of Information and Communication Technology (2011): P.p 7-8. Lawe, Mark. "Stereotypes in media." Belphegor (2010): P.p 17-18. Martin, Ann. "Media Stereotypes." Communication (2011):P.p 4-6. Branston, Gill. The Media Student's Book . Oxford: Routledge, 2010. Chomsky, Noam. Media Control. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. Press, Associated. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2011. New York: Associated Press, 2012. Read More