Gender Influences In The Media

It is no secret that growing up comes with many advantages and disadvantages. From the time children are able to freely form their own thoughts and until they reach adulthood, they are exposed to a plethora of influences in the media. Without the media, they would never be exposed to many of these things. Dr. Caroline Heldman conveys in the documentary that the media portrays that certain jobs are for certain genders. In the manner that politics are for men, just look at how few female politicians there are. On behalf of boys, they see that certain fields such as nursing and the veterinarian fields are dominated by women. When young people see these jobs dominated by a certain gender, they may feel discouraged. In the documentaries, The Mask
For example, in Dragonball Z, the villain is always powerful and gets what he wants and very little can stop him. This looks appealing to young boys of how being mean and sadistic to others can be fun. Girls get bullied on how their appearance looks causing them to spend $12,000-15,000 on hair and makeup products every year just so they can live up to the expectations of their peers (Siebel). Some girls are bullied for being too masculine and some boys are bullied for being too feminine, because this is not the normal way the media has portrayed girls and boys to act as seen on the “Mask You Live In” documentary. Some toys are made for boys and others are made for girls, so if they play with the opposite genders toys, this will allow for bulling. In some cases, the media makes bulling seem so vile that how could anyone want to be a bully? The media also teaches kids to treat others as they desire to be treated resulting in a positive manner. Sesame Street is a valid show that utilizes educational tools to help young people come out of their transitional developing stage to become an outstanding young adult. The media is a primary cause in the problem of bullying