Answers to Your Questions: Teens and the Media
Feb. 26, 2007 — -- Thank you for submitting so many questions about the impact celebrities have on teens. University of Michigan psychology professor Monique Ward answers some of your comments in the following Q&A:
Question: It is indeed troubling to consider what a world of Britney Spears and Paris Hiltons could do psychologically to young girls. But this is also a world of Brad Pitts and Justin Timberlakes. How could the images of them in the media affect young boys? How does this affect the way boys treat girls, and vice versa?
Answer: As media and cultural images of masculinity and femininity change, new research is being done to examine the effects of these models and expectations on girls and boys. And indeed, emerging evidence does show that boys' images of manhood and their beliefs about their own bodies are shaped by their media use and identification with media models.
At the same time, however, media and cultural images of manhood are still broader and more diverse than images of womanhood, thereby leading to some of the initial concerns. In the larger society, male role models are athletic, techno-savvy, political, inspirational or sexy. For women, they are often just sexy.
In the report released by American Psychological Association last week examining the sexualization of girls, there is a section devoted to discussing how sexualization of girls affects boys and men, and their relationships with women. There are some provocative findings there that you may want to check out.
Question: I am a single dad and I have two daughters, ages 9 and 6. My ex-wife recently submitted my children to a reality show for overweight kids. I am concerned with the possible negative effects the nationally televised show may have on my daughters. Is my fear valid?
Answer: Without knowing anything about that particular reality program, it is hard for me to say definitively. However, my initial reaction is also one of concern. It might be one thing to participate in an intervention, or even in a television program sponsored by a health-oriented or educational channel.
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