06/22/2017

Taking On Stereotypes

How children see gender portrayed can impact their development

Child development experts say the images that kids see early in life can have a significant long-term effect on their perception of the world. And while a lot of attention is paid to the impact of violent movies and other media, one less-discussed area is on-screen depictions of gender.

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that offers recommendations on entertainment content for children, this week expanded its ratings system to indicate how well TV shows and films combat traditional gender stereotypes. It developed the ratings based on scholarly research into gender portrayals in media and a survey of parents.

The group’s research review found that media images have tended to suggest that masculine traits are favored over female ones and that girls should focus on their looks. These images also can lead to tolerance of sexual harassment and reinforce beliefs about what men and women can do. Many parents have concerns about these issues, the survey found, but parents of color were the most worried, citing negative media depictions of children of color.

Please click here to read the complete article on Associations Now.