Show How the Media Portray Young People and Teenagers (Un-finished)

Young people are portrayed in many different ways through the media, the same as any other group of people, however some believe that coverage of the youth can often be biased and can be emotive rather than informative (and neutral). In an article from the Independent they reveal some facts about the extent of this problem. According to the article, “Figures show that half of the stories about teenage boys in the national and regional newspapers in the past year (4,374 out of 8,629) were about crime.” A result of this extensive reporting on youth crimes means the the public will be exposed to it more, which in turn could lead to a false belief in the amount of crime that is committed by teenagers. This problem was highlighted in a 2011 documentary ran by Channel 4. In one section of the documentary the presenter Ben Steele asks random adults on the street to guess the percentage of total crime committed by teenagers, the majority of people greatly overestimated the figure and there reasoning was because they'd seen it so much in the media.

Another issue that the article highlights is the fact that the coverage is also affecting the young people themselves, “As a result of the negative press, 80 per cent [of teenagers] felt adults were more wary of them now than they had been a year ago. However, the most striking finding, according to the research, was that many were now more wary of boys of their own age.” 

This quote shows just how powerful the media are in establishing and re-enforcing stereotypes and ideas around the youth. 

In the opening to the film Attack the Block (Joe Cornish - 2011), the stereotype of teenagers is explored and is used for comical effect. During the beginning scenes, we see a gang robbing a woman of her purse. The gang are presented as being stupid and aggressive. Stereotypical youth clothing such as hoodies and track suits are also used to further re-enforce this perception of youth. We also see scenes where the adults in the film are cursing or talking negatively the teenagers, for example one lady refers to them as “fucking monsters”.

However as the movie goes on the teenagers in the film redeem themselves and are presented as being loyal and brave, this is in stark contrast to the beginning of the film.

Emotive and Demonising Press Coverage

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/family/how-to-unplug-your--ipad-addicted-child/

In this article we can see examples of the media using emotive language to promote a feeling within the reader. Words such as 'addicted' and 'ragged' are used to describe young peoples relations with digital technology. However their choice of language makes it sound as if they're taking about something more sinister such as drugs.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hoodies-louts-scum-how-media-demonises-teenagers-1643964.html

Although this isn't an article that uses emotive language or demonises the youth, it highlights the portrayal of youth within the media. The article picks up on the most common words that are used to describe young people through these articles, the most used word was 'Yobs', followed by 'thugs' and 'feral'. All of which are highly emotive.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/teenagers-arrested-after-terrifying-18inch-sword-found-in-hackney-a3168216.html

In this article we can immediately see that 'teenagers' are involved as it is the very first word in the title. Also the use of the word 'terrifying' in the title creates a dramatic headline that will grab peoples attention. However it will also help associate the idea of fear and terror with all teenagers even though only two were involved due to the fact that it identifies the culprits as 'teenagers'.

Exam feedback

To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated? (Un-Finished)

To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated?

According to David Gauntlett, "Having an identity is a known requirement in modern society". Identities can be formed and manipulated through all the different forms of media including TV, music and magazines. The process of forming an identity through the media is defined by Thomas De Zengotita's as mediation. De Zengotita says that mediation is the process of us experiencing the world through the media, so the media must shape our identity. Zygmunt Bauman, a social theorist says that mediation also means the negotiation to resolve a dispute between two things. The negotiation of identity is continuously changing and is largely influenced by one of the newest media forms, the internet.

One of the largest and most influential media outlets on the internet is YouTube. The reason that the site is so influential to people of all ages is because anyone can upload content. Users are almost guaranteed to find content creators that they can relate to and can form so kind of a bond with. Popular creators (known as YouTubers) can gather hundreds of thousands of subscribers, this span of control can be highly influential.  YouTubers such as Olajide Olatunji, more commonly known as KSI have become hugely successful. Olatunji has a huge loyal fan base that relate to his videos.

Moral Panics - Condom Challenge

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/25/condom-challenge-teens-internet

Recently a new trend has been going viral across the web. The condom challenge has only been around for a short period of time but already newspapers are condemning the trend. I believe that currently, there isn't a moral panic surrounding the challenge as there are very few articles on the subject. Also, although the articles shows the trend in a negative light, they aren't causing hysteria by publishing articles that are completely out of proportion. However, i think that if someone gets injured or hospitalised from this, the newspapers will jump on it and then create a moral panic.

How are teenagers depicted in this article?

Immediately in the title, The Guardian highlights the fact that its teens that are doing these stupid things.  They also keep repeating the fact that teens are the culprit behind the challenge .
"Even better, it’s not even the first “condom challenge” to hit the internet. In 2013, teens were doing a different condom challenge..."

To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated? - Notes

New Media:

Youtube Stars:
Youtube stars have increasingly become more popular than stars from the traditional media forms such as Music and Film. The quote below describes one of the reasons why this could be.

'Connection is one word that's used over and over again when teens describe their relationships with digital stars. According to the study, teens and young adults describe YouTubers as someone who is "just like me, understands me, someone I trust, has the best advice, doesn't try to be perfect ... and likes the same things I do."

Those interviewed also suggest that YouTubers are more likely than actors or celebrities to reach out to fans on social networks like Twitter. 73% of teens and young adults report feeling close to YouTubers as opposed to 45% who say they feel close to TV and movie stars. '

KSI

KSI is a huge star on youtube, from making videos in his bedroom in his parents house to featuring in movies and creating music, he has gained a huge following of people that find him entertaining and people that relate with him.

Does that mean he considers young people's reliance on technology damaging, a restriction on our ability to socialise and act acceptably? 

'"I don't think it's damaging at all," Olatunji tells me over email. "We now just have different ways of talking to each other. Technology in my opinion has advanced dramatically in the past few years, allowing us to connect to each other in ways which were not possible before. It's bringing us closer as well as allowing us to be more free' 

People are using new ways of connecting with other people that share the same interests.

David Buckingham - Identity in the Digital Age

1) What or who does Buckingham say identity "implies a relationship with".

"...Identity also implies a relationship between a broader collective or social group of some kind..."


2) According to Buckingham Identity is also "about identification with others whom we assume are..."

"...Identity is about identification with others whom we assume are similar to us, (if not exactly the same), at least in some significant ways." 

3) Why is Identity becoming more prominent (more important and visible) according to the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman?
4) Also according to Bauman, "Identity is almost infinitely..." what?

"Bauman emphasises the fluidity of identity, seeing it as almost infinitely negotiable, and in the process perhaps underestimates the continuing importance of routine and stability. Nevertheless, his general point is well taken: “identity” only becomes an issue when it is threatened or contested in some way and needs to be explicitly asserted." 

Identity Formation: The Psychology of Adolescence
5) How does G. Stanley Hall define the period of Adolescence as?

As a period of "storm and stress."
 1903

6) How does Erikson see Adolescence?

"Adolescence, the conflict is between identity and “role confusion.” "

7) Also according to Erikson, what needs to happen for a young person "to arrive at an integrated, coherent sense of their identity"

"Erikson therefore sees adolescence as a critical period of identity formation, in which individuals overcome uncertainty, become more self-aware of their strengths and weak- nesses, and become more confident in their own unique qualities."

8) How does Susannah Stern (from the same book) suggest that the internet and online activities can help this process media?





Youth Culture and the Sociology of Youth
9) According to Buckingham when was the category of the Teenager invented?


10) What other categories does he state that "crucially blur the distinctions between children, youth and adults" ?