The Influence of Media on Adolescent Social Identity
Media is everywhere. Twentieth century America has become inundated by the endless options of public media. Whether it be print, television, or the various forms of social media, media has no specific age, race, or sexual preference. Considering the books, television programs, and social media applications targeted towards specific demographics, it has quickly incorporated itself into all facets of a person’s development. One of the most important aspects of media, is the influence it has on the development of adolescent social identity. Impacting gender identity, sexual identity and vocational identity, media has become a leading stimulus of adolescent social growth.
Adolescence is generally …show more content…
Introduced by Henri Tajfel as a theory of intergroup conflict, Social Identity Theory is defined as the part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group together with the emotional significance attached to that membership (Van Lange, Kruglanski, & Higgins, 2011). It is during the stage of adolescence that the theory of social identity is of utmost importance. When combined with media, the influenced construction of adolescent social identity is evident. Individuals, especially adolescents, often see what is in the media and accept it as an honest depiction of what the culture is like. Therefore, in order to fit in socially, one must align with what media dictates is true of their …show more content…
According to Kinsey Confidential, sexual identity is defined as the label that people adopt to signify to others who they are as a sexual being, particularly regarding sexual orientation (https://kinseyconfidential.org/sexual-identity-sexual-orientation/). Recent research by McKee shows that young people list media entertainment as one of the sources where they find information about sexuality together with friends, family and school (McKee). In regards to media, television shows are commonly seen as sources of information that depict how sexual relationships work and unfold. This information signifies that adolescents turn to media outlets as an alternative form of sexual education to aid in the influence of their sexual
Media is everywhere. Twentieth century America has become inundated by the endless options of public media. Whether it be print, television, or the various forms of social media, media has no specific age, race, or sexual preference. Considering the books, television programs, and social media applications targeted towards specific demographics, it has quickly incorporated itself into all facets of a person’s development. One of the most important aspects of media, is the influence it has on the development of adolescent social identity. Impacting gender identity, sexual identity and vocational identity, media has become a leading stimulus of adolescent social growth.
Adolescence is generally …show more content…
Introduced by Henri Tajfel as a theory of intergroup conflict, Social Identity Theory is defined as the part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group together with the emotional significance attached to that membership (Van Lange, Kruglanski, & Higgins, 2011). It is during the stage of adolescence that the theory of social identity is of utmost importance. When combined with media, the influenced construction of adolescent social identity is evident. Individuals, especially adolescents, often see what is in the media and accept it as an honest depiction of what the culture is like. Therefore, in order to fit in socially, one must align with what media dictates is true of their …show more content…
According to Kinsey Confidential, sexual identity is defined as the label that people adopt to signify to others who they are as a sexual being, particularly regarding sexual orientation (https://kinseyconfidential.org/sexual-identity-sexual-orientation/). Recent research by McKee shows that young people list media entertainment as one of the sources where they find information about sexuality together with friends, family and school (McKee). In regards to media, television shows are commonly seen as sources of information that depict how sexual relationships work and unfold. This information signifies that adolescents turn to media outlets as an alternative form of sexual education to aid in the influence of their sexual