Lazy. Spoiled. Entitled. Far too tethered to the television and other electronic devices. These descriptions of our generation have been ingrained since our early childhood and into young adulthood from parents, teachers and other adults. A large portion of this comes from rhetoric that focuses on the negative impact that large amounts of exposure to various forms of media, such as TV, films, and social media can have on young people. While it is true that this can bring about these negative effects, the positive aspects of media consumption are largely overlooked or written off within these discussions.
Broadening of Interests
Decisions that people make about their lives are rarely random. Interests are things that are cultivated from an abundance of factors, many of which come early in someone’s life. Frequently, these are shaped by the level of exposure to a given activity or concept. For instance, if someone has little or no exposure to sports when they are young, they are not nearly as likely to pursue participating in them as someone who is. This is not because they would be less skilled at them, but simply because it is difficult to become interested in something if it is foreign to them.
With TV, the kinds of activities or fields that someone could be exposed to is almost infinite. If a kid grows up watching shows about superheroes, or doctors, or fairy tale characters, they will likely play as these characters. As children grow older, this play will likely become increasingly complex, and they will incorporate knowledge they gain of these characters. This not only helps develop this child’s level of creativity, but also introduces them to much larger concepts present within these characters’ universes. A very familiar image is a young child, pretending to rule over a multitude of stuffed animals, action figures, or dolls, each with their own developed backstories and personalities. While this might seem simply like childish make-believe, in reality, it simulates leadership or even, in some of the more elaborate cases, politics.
These interests don’t stop in childhood. They will continue to grow and evolve as this person grows older. If a child strongly identifies with a hacker or computer expert character, they might pursue a deeper understanding of computers and how they work so that they may be more like this character. Even if they stop watching this show, the seed is already planted, and they will likely continue to be interested in computers.
While exposure has increased, avenues to pursue these interests have, as well. In the past, someone interested in working in the tech security field would somewhat inherently need to pursue illegal tactics, even if they wished to get into the reputable side of that business. Now, however, cyber security is a legitimate pursuit, and something you can get a college degree in. These kind of new opportunities are not only in the tech sector, however. Now, someone who grew up watching 24 and wishing they were Jack Bauer can basically get a degree in counter-terrorism. Basically, as TV and all forms of media become even further ingrained into our daily lives, the world around us has adjusted to meet these interests.
Representation
The rise of TV consumption has not only brought about increased awareness of these possible fields from an earlier age, but is also important because of how it represents people working in these fields. Unfortunately, since the dawn of TV and film, there has been shockingly inadequate representation of women, LGBTQIA individuals, and people of color. This is still a huge issue across every form of media, and especially in film, as shown by a recent study performed by The University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. However, TV is trending in a much more encouraging direction.
Among shows moving in this direction, Orange is the New Black is hands-down leading the charge for increased representation of people from highly marginalized groups through its cast being largely made up of women, both cisgender and transgender, and minorities. Beyond this, the show also portrays characters with various mental health issues, and does so in a way that both reveals, then pulls away common stigmatization that goes along with these issues.
This shift in TV is incredibly important. Not only because it gives a much more accurate portrayal of what the world actually looks like, but also because of the role it plays in normalizing people from these groups having jobs and roles that haven’t been seen previously on TV. Seeing Kerry Washington or Amy Poehler’s characters working in politics on Scandal and Parks and Recreation could be instrumental to young girls, especially those of color in the case of Washington. Both of these characters face realistic problems of sexism that women in politics will encounter, and overcome them. This tells young girls watching these shows that, yes, you will face sexism, but you should not let it keep you away from pursuing what you enjoy, because women belong in whatever careers or societal roles they wish, and owe nothing to societal norms or traditions.
In Orange is the New Black, we see characters with sexualities and races across the spectrum, all of which are fully developed. We see Laverne Cox’s character, Sophia Burset, face the hardships of gender transition and of being a black transwoman, and her gender is never used as a punchline for the audience. When other characters make any reference to her gender, it is used as a way for the audience to see what life is like for trans, or otherwise genderqueer people. This accurate and fully developed portrayal is a hugely important thing that TV, as well as all media, needs to continue pushing for, and thankfully Laverne Cox is a fantastic person to be on the forefront of this movement.
Queer, female, and minority youth of all types need to see representation of people who identify in the same way that they do so that they may receive the same message that white, cisgender heterosexual males (as I identify, myself) have received for a very long time: you can pursue whatever you are interested in, and there’s no reason that who you are should hold you back.
Words by Zachary Evans