Modern Examples of Youth
St Trinians
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Ill Manors
The Inbetweeners Movie
Older examples of youth
Quadrophenia
Newspaper Example
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024486/UK-RIOTS-2011-British-youths-unpleasant-violent-world.html
Essay key
Theorist
Example
Definition
Essay
The media contributes widely and effectively the publics perception of the collective identity of numerous social groups. This misrepresentation has a particulary harsh effect on the publics view of youth and youth culture. The dictionary refers to youth as "the period between childhood and adult age.". This means that those between 13 and 18 would be traditionally affected by youth stereotyping. The general presentation of youth by the media is that they are either violent and aggressive or idiotic and incapable of success.
Hebdige states that youth are either conceived as fun or trouble, meaning that youth are either violent and nihilistic in keeping with Ann Goulds 6 traits of youth or are fun and idiotic. Hebdiges understanding of youth is displayed frequently in the way that films will present youth a modern example of this being "The Inbetweeners" where youth are displayed as foolish and idiotic fuelled only by a desire for sex as well as "Ill Manors" which focuses on urban teens and the violence associated with gang cultures. Goulds six traits of youth are also featured in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" in which rebellion is displayed through the music of the time, the artificial tribe is displayed through the "wallflowers", self destructive nature is portrayed through the suicide of Michael and violence is portrayed through Candace and Derrick fighting. Hebdige is also portrayed again in this film where elements of fun can be seen through the use of recreational drugs and dancing, trouble is then displayed as name calling and domestic violence.
An example of an older media texts which portrays the same ideology as the above texts is "Bullet Boy". Goulds theory can be seen frequently throughout the piece for example violence is displayed throughout the killing of the dog, sexuality is displayed through the sex scene between the protagonist and his girlfriend and self destructive behaviour can be seen through the downward spiral of the protagonist who acts out the more people put him down. This is a prime example of Wilkins deviancy amplification spiral in which people who are repeatedly subjected to negative stereotyping re more likely to eventually conform to them.
Newspapers also play a part in the negative stereotyping of youth with the Mail Online in 2011 branding the British youth as 'the most unpleasant and violent in the world' in the period of time when the London riots were in progress. These riots are a prime example of Cohen's Moral Panic theory in which a single event such as the riots can lead to a negative stereotype being created around one collective identity and an inflammatory stereotype being formed which in turn creates folk Devils. The importance of youth being negatively described in newspapers specifically is especially important due to the fact that the negative views of youth will be imparted on those who may not necessarily agree with the view, this is the hypodermic syringe model. This model focuses on the way in which the public are injected with a certain concept that they may not have agreed with previously through a media text.
Youth are also represented as being part of artificial tribes which relates to Ann Goulds theory of the 6 traits of youth. In older media texts such as "Quadrophenia" which focuses around the conflict present between the mods and the rockers. This film shows youth in a negative and raw light leading youth being perceived by the public in a negative light. In more modern adaptions of youth groups such as "St. Trinians" youth are presented in a less gritty and negative way whilst still maintaining the underlying message of teenage rebellion.
In conclusion the way in which youth are perceived by the public is affected by the way that the media portray youth. Negative portrayals of select groups of youth lead to a negative impact on the entire youth population due to the fact that all youth subgroups exist under the collective identity of youth.
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