What collective does your example illustrate?
Our example illustrates the collective of young people (teenagers) and how they are portrayed by the media and television and the kind of image they are being perceived with by the the rest of the country. Within the media aspect of the image of youths of today, we are specifically focusing on the riots that took place in England during August 2011 and how the media represented younger people during this event. We have so far discovered that this event further elevated the negative views and opinions that people have on teenagers with pictures and clips throughout the media of them looting and destroying shops and behaving aggressively which probably did them no justice. So far within the television aspect of the portrayal of teenagers, we have focused on the programme 'skins' and the kind of image that they have been given in the series. After watching an episode of the programme, within the first five minutes it shows a group of teenagers at a party, with some taking drugs, some having sex, which already creates a negative image for the older generation to have upon teenagers. So within both the media and television a negative image, which only relates to a small minority of young people, has been created for all teenagers of today.
How has the representation of that group changed over time? What examples do you have to support this claim?
The representation of teenagers has significantly changed throughout time in a way where it has become a lot more negative towards younger people. They are being perceived as drug taking, sex mad, out of control yobs within the television and gangs of destructive, stealing and murdering hoodies within the media. This highly negative image of teenagers has never been as extreme as it is today. Back in time they weren't labelled as 'hoodies' or 'chavs' and this negativity didn't spread across all the teenagers in England as it has today.
What are the advantages to representing this collective in this way?
The advantages within the media of representing today's teenagers in this way is that it's very easy for people within England to believe the image that has been created for younger people within aspects such as television or from events such as the 2011 riots. Because there are so many events that include teenagers being involved in burglary, murders and gang violence it is very easy for the media and television to portray the teenagers of England as a whole within this category of 'hooded yobs'.
What are the disadvantages to representing this collective in this way?
The disadvantages of the media and television creating this negative image falls mainly on the reputation of teenagers. Two very powerful and popular groups, being the media and television, have created the image of teenagers being out of control, violent yobs. This may be true for a very small minority of teenagers within England but it is unfair that teenagers as a whole are being viewed as these uncontrollable monsters that has been influenced by people within the media and television.
How can you express your identity in the world? What barriers are there to expression, what facilities are there to express identity?
The main ways to express your identity in the world are through the media, which usually consists of something that will stand out and interest everyone.
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