Trash Media is all around us. How does it affect us? How does it affect young students?
Do young students ‘mirror’ their own lives from what they see in the media?
TV set projecting images of inappropriate subject matter
Do people mirror these media images?
Media Messages and Youth
Our ARTE 320 Green group decided to explore the media messages that are currently being portrayed by the popular culture in our society. This is commonly known as “trash media”. We wanted to explore what the messages are and how they are affecting today’s youth. Our group also wanted to inquire how these messages are reflected and mirrored in today’s youth. We decided to delve into this issue because body image and mirrored behaviour is such a prevalent issue in today’s schools. FRAMEWORK OF AIMS AND ACTIVITIES As previously stated, the aims of our inquiry are to find out what messages are being portrayed to today’s youth by the media and how these messages are affecting and are reflected in youth behaviour and attitudes. We also wish to make our students aware of the power of media messages and how it influences their own choices.
In order to examine these concepts, our group decided to browse through many of today’s popular magazines. For instance, we looked at many of the magazines that are displayed at the front checkouts of grocery stores. Some of these magazines include US Weekly, In Touch, People, Vanity Fair, Hello, Life and Style, and Cosmopolitan. These magazines are imposed on many teenage girls on a day-to-day basis. The common messages that are found within these magazines are wearing little amounts of clothing, maintaining an unhealthily skinny physical appearance, doing drugs and alcohol, reckless and dangerous behaviour that often go without consequences, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, unfit parenting, and a number of other inappropriate behaviours or actions. Unfortunately these dangerous messages are also propagated through other forms of media, such as television and Internet. Furthermore, these concepts are being reflected in the choices that young girls are making for themselves in their attitudes, behaviour and clothing choices. Today’s youth often emulate stars who receive positive attention for their negative actions. The media is also contributing to the rising epidemic of eating disorders by displaying celebrities who are below the average or healthy weight. After looking through several magazines, our group decided to create a visual metaphor that represents the behaviours that are being fore fronted in today’s media. The metaphor includes a television screen filled with collaged images of the media’s top selling pictures of celebrities. These pictures are often scandalous and create gossip for our society. We also included a mirror facing this television to show that these unhealthy and dangerous behaviours and choices are being “reflected” in today’s teenagers. Our group thought of several other activities, which are connected to the aim of our provocation for inquiry project, that would be appropriate for the classroom. One such activity would be to have the students write responses to negative media images in a two-column format. In the first column the students would need to identify what the image is portraying. In the second column the students would write what would be a more appropriate response or decision. As a class, we would go through the pictures and share our responses. Next, the students would need to create a slogan and poster that promotes positive behaviour and role models. Another activity that could be done with intermediate elementary school students is to explore visual critical literacy. This activity connects to the Language Arts curriculum. In order to help students gain visual critical literacy you could ask the students to cut an advertisement from a magazine or newspaper for a product that they have never used but would like to have. Next, have the student make a list of the reasons why they want that product. Then, as a class you could identify and explore some of the selling/propaganda devices that are being used (i.e. glittering generality, testimonial, transfer, name-calling, card stacking, bandwagon, snob appeal, and rewards). You could also connect this activity to how celebrities are portrayed in the media. What propaganda devices are being used to make light of dangerous celebrity behaviour? When exploring media messages it would be prudent to use collages to explore the issue. For example, students could go through magazines and make collages of positive images of celebrity or role model behaviour. Next, the students could make a collage of negative images of celebrity or role model behaviour in order to compare the two. Moreover, in order to help promote positive decision making and self efficacy in the students, you could ask them to identify which of the positive images of celebrity behaviour that they would like to incorporate into their lives and why. NOTABLE ARTISTS One of the most notable artists in the field of media and popular culture is Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was an American artist and was the central figure in the movement known as Pop Art. Pop art was a movement that arose in the mid 1950s in Britain and the late 1950s in the United States. The movement was characterized by themes and techniques that were drawn from the popular mass culture at the time. This included advertising, comic books, and Hollywood stars. Many of Warhol’s early works depict aspects of cartoons or advertising that were hand-painted with paint drips. Furthermore, his first major exhibition showcased the famous Campbell’s Soup cans. Later, Warhol’s work evolved to encompass his love of celebrities as he painted him with silk screening. www.warhol.org
RESOURCES/LINKS http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.caThis web address links to the evolution of beauty video sponsored by Dove. Dove is campaigning to enlighten youth about the myths of Hollywood beauty and body image. http://marketwirecananda.com/mw/release.do?id=822210This web address links to an article, which was published in the paper, about actress Rachell Leigh Cook’s endorsement of the Dove Real Beauty Campaign to show young girls that the media air-brushes models and actresses to make them look a certain way.
Booth, D., Lewis, K., Powrie, S., & Reeves, D. Media Sense 6. Canada: Meadow Book Press.
This book contains strategies to help students analyze and produce a variety of media texts. It is important that students learn the skills necessary for them to look critically at the media’s portrayal of issues and celebrities.
Harrison, J., Smith, N., & Wright, I. (2004). Selected Critical Challenges in Social Studies – Intermediate/Middle School. Canada: The Critical Thinking Consortium.
This resource has a specific lesson plan that caters to helping students to learn how to critically view media and media messages.
Group Members: Brynn Sharpe,Melissa Schroeder,Danae Zagoudakis,Jennifer Leung,Reena Jassi,Kristin Van Eunen
