Media Representation
The media shapes our reality more than you would think. We would watch a tv show or movie that depicts a different culture and assume that is the norm for those individuals. If we never do our own research into a culture we are left to assume that whatever we see in the media is the truth when it depicts someone that looks different than ourselves. Have you ever wondered why some individuals have antiquated beliefs about people of differing cultures? Like how some racist individuals try to use stereotypes to justify their beliefs and actions? If you examine what they choose to watch on a regular basis, it could give insight on their general belief system.
The reason I decided to bring this up is to shine light on the mental importance of positive representation in the media. As a young African American male, the media presents us in a very limited light. We are either portrayed as the rapper, the athlete or in some type of criminal way. Now this is not to say that some of these portrayals are untrue, but it isn’t only what we are. You could find the same limited portrayals in other ethnic groups however for us it seems like these are the “go-to” representations. You could only imagine how this could impact a young impressionable mind. They could believe that there are only three ways out of a terrible situation. The only way they could make it in life is through rapping, playing sports or doing crime. But we all know this isn’t true. So why does the media push these narratives so strongly? I could make various assumptions but that isn’t to focus of this post.
What we need to do as a people (and not only black people but any ethnic group that feels they are depicted negatively in the media) is to first speak with the youth in our community. Show them different outlets of success. Perfect example that I can give is my younger brother. He began to express interest in music and rapping and I suggested that he start working on the production aspect. We talked about the difficulties that rappers can experience and how the production aspect could be more lucrative. With focusing on the youth, we could change the narrative for generations to come.
I’m sure there are other ways to begin this change but that’s not within my expertise. I could suggest working on other content aside from the normal crime dramas that we love. Instead put some focus into historical dramas and tell the true stories of our people and their lives and not the same slave movies we recycle every couple months. I would say that our entertainers should try to promote more positive visuals so that the more impressionable individuals aren’t influenced by the negativity that is being shown on a daily basis. However, without further exploration I’m just throwing out an opinion and that is not the focus of this blog. I want to invoke thought and I want you to now think about how the media has influenced your life and what you could do to make a positive change in your life and your own communities.