- Give examples for each question
- How are teenagers and young people in the media portrayed?
- Who constructs these representations?
- How do the representations influence young people's identity?
- How do these representations affect adults' opinions of teenagers?
- Is it possible for teens and adults to interpret representations of youth differently?
So what influence does the media have over us, how does it affect us? Accurate representations? Inaccurate or distorted portrayals. What characters may young people identify with in the media today, why? Do they aspire to be like those characters? Is it a mixture of the two?
Some conclusions, what do you think? Any examples to go with these statements?
- Youth culture is created as an extension of a young individual's search for identity - to differentiate themselves from their parents, from tradition, and from other young people.
- Young people express their collective identity through consumption: fashion, music, magazines, websites, film etc but...they can often appropriate these for their own ends eg. 'Beliebers' self-harming in protest at Justin's 'spliff' photo.
- Media industries use representations of youth to target both teenagers (through their aspirations)...and adults (through nostalgia or fear of young people)
- Many young people are conscious of the media's inaccurate portrayal of youth - and the commercial exploitation -and resist. eg. when an underground band become popular and 'sell out' Many young people create their own media text in response eg?
- Advances in technology have given young people the opportunity to create their own youth subcultures. Punk - photocopiers, cassette tapes and today - camera phones, music software, social networking sites, youtube producers
- Youth subculture can begin underground, alternative and DIY...but young people grow up and need to make money plus media industries spot untapped markets
- Youth culture is not homogenous and monolithic. it's moved from being proliferate (mods vs rockers) to having PLENITUDE ie multiple youth cultures, happily co-existing 'UK Tribes' and CrowdDNA
So...what was underground quickly moves into mainstream culture eg Vivienne Westwood - 1970s punk fashion now respected brand.
The media Triangle - Audience- Institution - Representation and how they all meet and influence each other through forms and conventions.