Are We Enough for the Media?

From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Peter Pan, it is apparent that the lack of proper representation is an underlying theme in most movies. Now, you may be wondering why this presents itself as an issue. The reason for the concern of lack of representation is not only the diversity in America but also the effect of the media on younger audiences. 

According to Nancy Wang Yuren, the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, explains that a “ study found that nonverbal racial biases in facial expressions and body language, as represented on popular television shows, influence white viewers’ racial biases. Furthermore, a lack of contact between racial groups can lead to greater reliance on media stereotypes when formulating ideas about people outside one’s race.” 

Besides being a controversial topic in itself, media representation leads to mental health issues for minorities. Groups living in America may believe they aren’t pretty enough, skinny enough, and tall enough. They think they are just not enough to fit into that small margin of stereotypes for a group. They might think their skin is too dark. Their eyes are too small. Their nose is too big. Their hair is too curly. They might think they need to run from the police, eat curry for every meal, or speak with a strong accent. This all introduces repercussions for any audience young or old.  

With the current isolated state of the world, more and more people are turning to technology to satisfy boredom and get work done; the newfound desire for a higher screen time especially for younger children, adds to the problems mentioned previously. People are being exposed to media representation more because of quarantine which, in turn, raises an extensive amount of self-image issues that align with the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph. 

Luckily, the recent months have shed light on the lack of representation in the media, specifically for African Americans. The ongoing Black Lives Matter Movement has brought up a controversial topic that is portrayed often in the media. The topic is not only being conveyed in real life but on the screen as well. Movies like “13th” are rising to popularity and we have been able to see actors portraying their race instead of having a stereotypical version created by racism. Although society has a long way to go for the representation of race and culture to improve, you as an individual can make your own choices and contribute to the growing numbers supporting the cause.