Representation of young people

"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders; they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets, inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"   Plato 4th Century


Has british youth always been thought in a negative manner? Have representations changed at all?

Stereotypes

Stereotypes are social constructs

• They originate in and reflect the power relations in society because they are part of a cultures ideology.
• They foster values that reinforce group and individual subordination
• They marginalize people, treating them as the other
• They categorize people into groups who's members supposedly share inevitable characteristics, most typically negative ones

Characteristics of Stereotypes

• Stereotypes are categorical and general, suggesting the traits apply to all group members
• They are inflexible or rigid, thus not easily corrected
• They are simplistic
• They are prejudgments not based on experience(They could be reinforced by negative personal experience)
• Can be conscious or unconscious

Time magazine: Is this the face of British Teenagers?

Guardian: 

9.7 %  Said crime and gang culture an issue

12.3 % Binge drinking and drug misuse

4.5% Teenage pregnancy and sexual health

9.1% Exam pressure

16.9 % Lack of jobs

27.3% Negative Stereotyping

20.1% Lack of things to do and places to hang out

Hegemony in News Representation of Youth/Teen/Teenagers

• Media industries operate within a structure that produces and reinforces the dominant ideology via a consensual world view
• This world view is produced predominantly by white middle class, middle aged, heterosexual men
• It is their ideas and values that infiltrate media texts and ensure that other voices do not get heard.

According to Nacro, the penal reform charity< youth crime actually fell between 1993 and 2001, while Britain has one of the lowest crime rates amoung children in the whole of Europe

Propaganda 

Is A Form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position.

The end result: MORAL PANIC

What is happening at the moment?

In News: Violent criminals with a lack of morals
To Me: Youths are in a world who have to fight against hegemonic values and the policies of the government, e.g. university fees.

Old People:

Angry: Busy: No time for anyone: 45% Young people help through voluntary work