Influences of Media on Children's Gender Identity
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Consumer products aimed at children are flowing with gender typed messaged on toys, clothes, shoes, books, towels, bedding etc. these products are placed in varying aisles when shopping and these aisles are coloured pink or blue and lighted to attract a specific gender. Movies transmit influential messages which shape the child’s gender identity as those movies play out stereotypical gender roles. One of the main multimedia companies evident in today society is Disney, where the princesses has beautiful hair, stunning figure and gorgeous face and the prince is brave, masculine, tall and chivalrous (Olaiya and Petronella, 2011).
The media influences not only the identity but also the child’s understanding and knowledge regarding gender as the media corrupts the mind of the child with views on gender and expectations which every individual should uphold due to their gender. Most of the media children come across daily are built on stereotypical images of the child’s gender role (Newman, 1995). Commercials and shows which are targeted at the child are displayed at certain durations when operators are aware that children are the main audience. For example children’s shows and play equipment infomercials are at their peak in the morning and in the afternoon when the child arrives home. Media portrays boys playing with cars, trucks, guns and girls playing with dolls, making jewellery, caring for babies and animals.
Blaise (2010) considers the notion of gender identity which is endorsed through perceptions of societal understandings where girls and boys learn certain gendered practices through the media (Braise, 2010). The increasing of technology in the child’s environment has led to the debate about the impact technology has on childhoods. This argument mostly focuses on the power of media on children and how media can lead to various problems. The image of the child is also mentioned in relation to these concerns as the child is viewed as innocent and vulnerable and that’s why the adults around them must protect the child from the risks of media (Plowman, McPake and Stephen, 2010).
We feel that the notion of the child agency is based on the representation of the child in a wider picture where the umbrella which shields the child is made out of the three parties. Each party has a major influence on the child where they each contribute to the child’s life and I believe that the only way we can succeed is working together in partnership towards unity in allowing children to shape their own gender identity. Linking to the Auckland plan discussion document to our project we realised that that document focuses on improvements mostly on the city and since the city is surrounded by media we as the child’s agency must consider we can shelter the children from the harsh gender identity stealing media or strategies we can prevail over the media aimed at controlling the child’s gender identity.