[New post] Diversity and Representation: How the media industry dictates our perceptions of ourselves
Louisa Clarke posted: " By Mwangala Sikwibele Over the last few years, diversity and representation have been a trending buzzword within the media industry, as various demographics of people desperately plea to see their stories, visuals and cultures on the big screen. I"
Over the last few years, diversity and representation have been a trending buzzword within the media industry, as various demographics of people desperately plea to see their stories, visuals and cultures on the big screen. In opposition, gatekeepers of the industry have flung out a myriad of excuses for their failure to adapt to the changing demographics of nations that are looking much less homogenous with limitless intersectionalities.
With an evident shift in social consciousness over most recent years, it's best to take a close examination to comprehend the significance of representation to society, and why it's an important issue to continue to promote.
According to Statista, a staggering number of approximately 27 million households own a TV in the UK, as a result, it's fair to argue that we live in a society whereby television is a dominating media form that undeniably exerts an influence on society. To what extent this influence has on society, particularly in the case of the messages and perceptions media suggests about people of colour, is one that requires further investigation.
Political scientist Joseph Nye developed the term soft power, a concept defined as the capacity of a country to convince others to adopt specific viewpoints or follow specified actions. Award-winning actor Kwame Kwei Amah stated the following at a Diversify Bafta event in 2013 " ... across the world, USA films are more powerful than the USA Military..." a statement that perfectly encapsulates the idea of soft power. This evidently showcases how powerful and influential media is in framing our perceptions and notions of the world, particularly in the case of children.
In most recent decades, from the onset of children's lives, toddlers babble and giggle to their tv screens to the visual images used to entertain and educate their young impressionable minds. As they grow and their media selections become more sophisticated the ideas and concepts presented on television shape their beliefs and the way they choose to interact and engage with others in society. Most especially it informs them of people of different backgrounds who aren't present in their social circles or with whom they don't share close and intimate relationships within their everyday lives. And thus media plays a key function in representing people of various backgrounds.
Yet in spite of this evident responsibility to provide representation, historically the media industry has been exclusionary and has purported a series of stereotypes and cliches that reduce the experiences and stories of people of color as being one-dimensional and monolithic with little regard to providing equal opportunity for all. This social phenomenon is known as symbolic annihilation, a term coined by George Gerbner.
Researchers suggest that a consequence of these biases in the media is that young children begin to internalize the damaging messaging about various social groups and therefore this informs the way in which they interact with different demographics of people as their perceptions are built upon prejudices and misconceptions. Furthermore, children who only witness negative or limited representations begin to perpetuate the visual images that are projected on visual media forms and begin to incorporate these characteristics as a part of their identity. Therefore this can contribute to low self-esteem and may result in children developing fragmented identities if they don't identify with the projected messaging that is meant to be representative of them. Conversely, children who witness positive portrayals of people who look like them or share their life experiences have significantly greater levels of self-esteem as well as become more successful in their lives.
Thus, media representation plays a pivotal role in empowering and celebrating both the youth and maturer generations, encouraging a harmonious, tolerant and inclusive society. As a result, the increasing pressure now placed upon media platforms is important and should be advocated for more to ensure that our media encaptures the multifacetedness of human expression.
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