Category: Stereotypes

Introduction

Race is an aspect of categorizing people into groups based on a set of observable transmissible traits. People can be placed in their race by observing significant physical features like the color of their skin, hair color and texture, body height, and features of the face (Segal, 1991). An ethnic group is a people who identify themselves through a common legacy that is either existent or as a presumed opinion about themselves. Such a group can have common cultural practices, language, beliefs and even customs which they use to distinguish themselves from other groups. At times, these groups interact with others and borrow from one another some elements of culture, which in turn can lead to changes in the overall traits of the group. However, some elements may remain to be transmitted to the next generation (Mevorach, 2007). Both race and ethnicity have been used to identify various peoples living in the same region, perhaps in the same states but have distinct identities about themselves. Arash Abizadeh (2001) notes that identifying a race or ethnic group varies from one culture to the other and may change over time, sometimes becoming socially controversial because people tend to classify each other based on the level of achievement. In this case, racial and ethnic identities create stereotypes. Daniel Segal defines [racial/ethnic] stereotypes as those commonly held thoughts about a particular social group by another group or individual. They are formed on ideas of conceptual knowledge like similar behavior or trait being repetitively noted by many people over a certain period of time. This makes people to socially recognize any member of the said group within the beliefs about their race or ethnic group (1991). Stereotypes have manifested themselves in various activities of human life and have been the subject of discussion in the media, sports, literature and the general aspect of human rights. Stereotypes may become the basis of discrimination. This paper looks at racial and ethnic stereotypes in American media.

Racial/Ethnic stereotypes in the US

In the US, stereotypes are directed to minority groups such as the Muslims, blacks, Hispanics, blondes, aboriginals and even the Jews. Many people equally access similar news media, movies and video games but this is not reflected in the media themselves (Gilliam, Valentino & Beckmann, 2002). For example, in most movies and video games; non-whites play subordinate roles like being scoundrels or helpers. A recent study noted that only less than 5% of video game characters were from the Hispanic community. Nevertheless, their role was not even to act as characters that would be manipulated in the games. African Americans would only be restricted to specific genres like sports and rap music. Moreover, African Americans were depicted more as villains than heroes; often taking part in law-breaking activities like robberies and violence (Mevorach, 2007). The way other races view each other has been translated to the media in entertainment, advertisement and news content. A case in point is the depiction of African Americans.

Models of stereotypes against African Americans

Stereotypes of African Americans involve generalized notions about their behavior. They rose to become part of the American culture from the colonial period, especially after slavery became an institution that perpetuated racism (only blacks would be enslaved) (Turner, 1994) Early American comic shows like the Minstrel Show involved skits, dances and songs by whites wearing black faces. They ridiculed blacks in belittling terms like lazy, impolite and superstitious; a belief strongly held by slave masters about slaves. The content of these comics begun to change only in early 1900s when blacks have begun to fight for their legal rights (Lott, 1993). Patricia Turner identifies media as objects for stereotyping blacks. They show them as archaic, unintelligent and servile. She identifies such traits as possible pressures that strengthen anti-Black feelings among white populations in the US (1994). Between 1933 and late 20^th century, Patricia Devine and Andrew Eliot found that the descriptive words used on blacks had been consistent in the media. In this period, blacks were referred to as strongly religious, uncertain, poor, primitive and unclean. More worrying was the fact that all these adjectives were demeaning (1995). In todays media, the same stereotypes have been advanced to include criminal, noisy and stupid. Constructive descriptions, though sometimes equally debasing, include being musically rhythmic and athletic. It has been argued that the continued emphasis of black supremacy in sports and entertainment devalues their need for education. As a result, the portrayal of blacks as uneducated continues to be a stereotype (Devine &Turner, 1995). However, the Centre for Disease Control [CDC] positively affirms that African Americans have a lower percentage of drugs-taking than other races (2000).

Stereotypes against African Americans in the Media/Literature

There have been several models that have been used historically to depict African Americans. They include the black-face, sambo, Mammy, and Magic Negro archetypes (Boskin, 1986). The black-face model originated from the aforementioned Minstrel shows of the 19^th century. It involved theatrical representations of actors wearing black masks to portray the expression of a popular American racist attitude at the time. White actors usually wore black masks made from burnt cork and painted with oil paints to make them black, and with unusually huge lips. The actors would also wear torn clothes, wigs and gloves to signify the belief that African Americans were indeed dirty, poor and very religious (Goings, 1994). In the Sambo model, blacks were shown as reckless people, often laughing at anything and unusually careless. Sambo is a word that describes a person with American Indian and African parentages. Its believed to originate from the Caribbean word, Zambo; meaning a black person. The word was used in most of the 18^th-century publications to describe slaves. In Thackerays Vanity Fair, the Sedley family had a black Indian servant with the name of Sambo. Harriet Beecher wrote Uncle Toms Cabin in which one of Simon Legrees supervisors was called Sambo. African Americans were called Sambo during the American Civil War. However, a racist lace was attached to the name later possibly in response to black activism. In 1894, Little Black Sambo was written by Harriet Bannerman. It showed a young boy named, Sambo who managed to dodge the might of tigers. The book has often been viewed as an insult against African Americans (Boskin, 1986). In early 1900 puppets, animations involved clueless characters called Sambo. They had high-pitched voices and were black. In Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry, Jim is depicted as one of the few Sambos, grown up to be respected.

Mammy archetypes involved the narrative depiction of a domestic African American servant with good manners but having a fat physique and a loud voice (Goings, 1994). Mammy was a corruption from mother in North America. It was used in most narratives to represent housemaids who performed house chores like cooking and breastfeeding. In pop culture before civil rights movements, mammies were shown in brands like Aunt Jemimas Pancakes to show how mammies were using the brand to prepare food for their masters (Wallace-Sanders, 2009). In the media, the original Minstrel Show exposed mammies in various performances. For instance, the song, Swanee, done by Judy Garland was a representation of the black mammy. Mammy characters were also used in TV shows like the Beulah where black servants would be shown to be contributing in the solution of white family troubles (Goings, 1994). Mammy Two Shoes was an animation of a mammy with a dark skin who spoke with black accent (Wallace-Sanders, 2009). Generally, mammies had dark skins, fat and always wore matron clothing like aprons, handkerchiefs and gloves. They were depicted as loyal to white authorities. Although whites used it sentimentally, many blacks viewed the term as insulting (Turner, 1994).

Mystical Negroes represented a helpful character in fiction stories that worked with their special powers to get white heroes from danger. The use of Magical Negroe was an improvement from Numinous Negro initially introduced by Richard Brookhiser to signify the virtuous and appreciated black mentor. In most fictions, this character was showed to have no origin but would simply appear abruptly to save the white protagonist. In saving the hero, the magical Negroe would do anything that even included loss of his own life as it was exposed in Sydney Poitiers the defiant ones. Although the word Negro would now be seen as offensive and often used around the globe to racially denote blacks, it was used in various media fictions to identify blacks as friendly and adventurous people (Devine & Eliot, 1995).

Theories of Media stereotypes

As early entertainment shows continued to ridicule the intelligence of African Americans, the then secretary of state John C. Calhoun [1844] was recorded to have said that African Americans had to be under the care of whites because freeing them would lead to misuse of freedom. Blacks were mentally unhealthy and the only way to avert social problems was through enslaving them (Abizadeh, 2001). These mental-incapacity tags continued in the media even after slavery had been abolished. For instance, movies such as the birth of the Nation in 1915, exposed doubts about African Americans ability to hold public offices. Similarly, some authors of fiction like John Grisham have continued to use words like nigger in their works Grisham, with a background in law, portrays the way different races exist in the US and how they search for justice (Grisham, 1987). Apparently, his books set in most of the southern states of the US depict the view of southern whites against other races like blacks and Hispanics. In a Time to kill, a black father had to shoot white suspects thought to have raped his daughter because he believed justice would not come his way. Prior to that, Grisham describes the horrible rape ordeal performed by this white gang to the girl; taping her mouth, urinating on her, raping her in chains before leaving her for death! Ideally, while Grisham tried to portray that whites too can be criminals, he still emphasized the fact that African Americans are violent. He still stuck to the same old stereotypes about African Americans as portrayed by earlier authors (Williams, 1999).

Blacks have been shown in most movies as uncertain and morally inferior. In movie series like Prison Break, the jail is full of conflicts perpetrated by blacks against whites. Inside the prison, blacks confront white newcomers and warn them of future attacks if they dont refrain from associating with their white enemies within the prison. Acted by Tyrese Gibson; the leader of the African American camp in prison marshals his troupe during break time to issue warnings. While the whole movie series became a darling of peoples entertainment needs, the portrayal of African Americans as more violent and criminal even within other criminals is an extension of usual stereotypes. In other most popular series like the Transporter and 24 have continued to churn out prejudice against African Americans through the roles they take part in. American music portrays African American women as promiscuous. In most music videos, dancers are usually skimpily dressed black women often dancing to make sales for musicians who may be white. Musicians like Eminem have used black dancers in their clips. Perhaps depicting how cheaply available they are. Even more surprising is Eminems Song, Just Lose It which shows his nose falling off as though to ridicule Michael Jacksons plastic surgery. In a deeper analysis, one may think Eminem intended to show mental insufficiency of Michael Jackson, an African American, in deciding to remodel his body (Dill, Brown &Collins, 2008).

Scholars have argued that indeed media sources can strengthen stereotypes among people about others. In the US, activities from the Civil Rights Movements led by Martin Luther King to victorious black court cases like the Brown Vs. Board of Education in 1954 and the Cooper Vs. Aaron in 1958 helped to improve racial discrimination. However, racial stereotypes have continued to exist (Gilliam Jr., Valentino & Beckmann, 2002). In social contact theory, we learn that closeness of different groups of people may reduce prejudice against one another. However, this may also lead to rivalry over resources and turn out to be the source of conflict (Roberts &Foehr, 2004).

We can determine whether the role of information can lead to ethnic or racial conflicts between two groups of people. First, the media can affect racial or ethnic beliefs through public opinion. In the US, there is a stable flow of information from different media sources. Persistent racism despite its abolition can be linked to the content carried in the media. Usually, people rely on the media for information about things they have not experienced on face-to-face. This information could be skewed and carries social beliefs about every racial group within its reach (Gilliam Jr., Valentino & Beckmann, 2002). For example, most news media cast blacks as perpetrators of crime. Robert Entman (1990) observed that TV news represented blacks as aggressive and dangerous towards whites. They were also egoistic and would always criticize the government for some problem. Usually, American media portrays purveyors of crime as non-whites. In both the cause and nature of crime, whites are shown as victims. Moreover, there are rare occasions when white crime suspects were shown on TV either handcuffed or under tight security. Whereas whites could be shown in courts, well-dressed; blacks were shown from the point of arrest, in handcuffs, scenes of their crime, impact of their crime to the society, their occupations-usually slums, and even the kind of accomplices they had (Gilliam Jr., Valentino & Beckmann, 2002). Hence, news-making and presentation adds to the common phenomenon about non-whites as depicted in fiction.

Features of Racial stereotypes

Exposure of a white person to violent crime in news results to formation of negative stereotypes about African Americans, argues Entman (1990). Having seen that the usual perpetrators of crime are blacks, these audiences are likely to decide that punishments to such crimes be terminal: Death penalties and Life Imprisonment. Television news uses the usual belief that crime is linked to specific races and hence can reinforce racial stereotypes against a particular race. The result of priming of racial attitudes can be the rating of political leaders based on their racial backgrounds thus making it difficult for an African American to win in an election (Gilliam Jr., Valentino & Beckmann, 2002).

A racially separated community with no past encounter with other races or ethnic communities relies on media information to make beliefs about other races. In this case, they become at the mercy of the medias manipulation. When the information depicts another race in the context of crime, immorality or uncertainty, it heightens opposition against the said race. Thus, in the absence of first-hand experience about African Americans, the news media formulates attitudes in the white communities that may translate into labels against any African American that they might later see (Entman, 1990).

The limitation to personal meetings among races makes people to derive social labels from where they spent most of the time. A majority of young people in the US spend most of their time interacting with TV, movies, the internet or even playing virtual games (Roberts & Foehr, 2004). Any racial tilt in the packaging of this content is apt to restructure the behavior of these people. For instance, in virtual games, African American characters could be taking part in supportive roles; this can make the players to imagine that they are always in the subordinate. Cumulatively, the belief that African Americans are weak will strengthen.

According to the media and aggressive degradation theory [MAD], pessimistic mass media metaphors against a particular person can harm the victims group. For in stance, if a member of a particular race or ethnic group is portrayed in degrading terminology, it provokes hostility against members of the whole group in future (Dill, Brown &Collins, 2008). It has been argued that the media carries socially accepted notions that can devalue members of other communities if the media consistently airs derogations about the said race. In this case, the labels against African Americans as criminals or unfriendly imparts in the audiences from other races that blacks are not suitable to live alongside other human beings. In most of the southern states, African Americans live in different estates from those of the whites. The continual flow of negative images about blacks may never help to make these communities to live alongside each other (Entman, 1990).

How Stereotypes are perpetuated

Racial and ethnic stereotypes are sometimes routed in our social expectations. The Expectancy violation theory asserts that stereotypical expectations about a person when dishonored may make people to be evaluated in extreme terms. Every social group has got certain standards and expectations regarding other peoples behavior. Blacks are stereotypically lower than whites. That is, most communities view whites as more sophisticated, calm or intelligent while blacks are seen in low descriptions as criminals, uneducated or subhuman (Dill, Brown &Collins, 2008). In this case, a black person can be seen as normal if he is found in a criminal act or is illiterate. Here, the white majorities have evaluated African Americans in this expectation. On the other hand, it would not be a surprise if a white man wins a Nobel or is admitted at Harvard: This has been the trend which most people are used to. Thus, it has becomes a social expectation. Violations to these expectations happen if for instance a white person fails an aptitude test and his failure is aired in the press. Peoples attitudes might change against the white supremacy. On the contrary, an African American is likely to be elevated in status if he wins a governors post or gains entry at Harvard. In other words, violating social expectations by breaking the socially demeaning descriptions is likely to improve the stereotypical evaluation of peoples racial and ethnic backgrounds (Roberts &Foehr, 2004).

How can one recognize racial or ethnic stereotypes? Leslie Aguilar (2006) gives the three important features of discovering that. First, notions about a particular race or group usually take members of the group to be the same. Statements like, blacks are like that or you know how criminal blacks can be deem that blacks usually behave alike. Stereotypes also have judgments about a group. They show what a group is expected to be like. For instance, when we say, African Americans are rude, we indicate our mental fixation that everyone should expect rudeness from this group and people ought to refrain from such behavior. Stereotypes fail to accommodate the fact that people within a group have different personalities or that everyone has different moods. Also, stereotypes are not flexible. Persons violating our expectations are considered as odd rather than being invalidation to our expectations. For instance, at a journalism lecturers conference, a white person may comment to a black person, you dont look like a scholar! This is because we believe African Americans as unlearned.

Most common ways of perpetuating racial/ethnic stereotypes include: The use of jokes as in you know how it feels to have a black girlfriend! Use of labels like in a dark-skinned muscular man use of oversimplified proclamations like African Americans are stupid or Latinos are addicts, use of hackneyed descriptions like a typical black girl, use of suppositions like assuming that all African Americans are good athletes, how many medals will we win at the Olympics? use of spokespersons Syndrome like in asking an African American member of staff to show how a company can break through the African American market with ease, the use of descriptions that suggest a stereotype because they challenge with the stereotype itself such as in the company is looking for a qualified African American, and the use of statistical stereotyping where persons are gauged on the basis of a research finding about their group. For instance, asking an African American to give opinion in research show that most African Americans choose rap as music, what is your favorite music? (Aguilar, 2006)

Effects of Racial/Ethnic Stereotypes

Perhaps it is important to know how this racial and ethnic stereotyping affects us. Whether positive or negative, stereotyping remains harmful to both stereotypes and the stereotyped. By looking at people in the same wavelength, we deny ourselves a chance to see their personal abilities because we underestimate them (Aguilar, 2006). Similarly, the misjudged person remains offended and can likely give up personal ventures. For example, an African American student who likes studying Languages but is being judged as an athlete may give up her true ambitions. On the overall, stereotyping leads to the devaluation of persons based on their ethnic or racial background. It serves to perpetuate racism and can easily continue the inequalities in our society today (Wallace-Sanders, 2009).

Conclusion

In conclusion, ethnic and racial stereotypes are those notions that people have about other communities. In the US, they began during the abolition of slavery and were shown in major entertainment media. They can be perpetuated by the media and literature in the way they frame their information and the characters in literature. A particular community can nurture racial stereotypes if it has not been in touch with other races but depend on the media to know about them. This is because most media content carries the social stereotypes about groups. The end result is the devaluation of some communities and hence continual inequalities. Reframing our information content can help reduce stereotypes about races and ethnic communities.

Reference

Abizadeh, A. (2001). Ethnicity, Race, and a Possible Humanity. World Order, 33(1), 23-34.

Aguilar, L.C. (2006). Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts: Communicating Respectively in a Diverse World. New York: The Walk the Talk Company.

Boskin, J. (1986) Sambo, New York: Oxford University Press

Centre for Disease Control. (2000). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC Surveillance Summaries, 49(SS-5), 1-104.

Devine, P., &Andrew J. E. (1995). Are Racial Stereotypes Really Fading? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(11), 1139-1150.

Dill, K.E., Brown, B.P., & Collins, M.A. (2008). Effects of Exposure to Sex-Stereotyped Video Game Characters on Tolerance of Sexual Harassment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 1402-1408.

Entman, R.M. (1990). Modern Racism and the Images in Local Television News. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 7, 332-346.

Gilliam Jr., F.D., Nicholas, A.V., &Mathew, N.B. (2002). Where you live and what You Watch: The Impact of Racial Proximity and Television News on Attitudes about Race and Crime. Political Research Quarterly, 755-780.

Goings, K. (1994). Mammy and Uncle Mose: Black Collectibles and American Stereotyping. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Grisham, J. (1987). A Time to Kill. New York: Bantam Books.

Lott, E. (1993). Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mevorach, K.G. (2007). Race, Racism and Academic Complicity. American Ethnologist, 34(2), 239-240.

Turner, P.A. (1994). Ceramic Uncles & Celluloid Mammies: Black images and their Influence on Culture. New York: Anchor Books.

Roberts, D., &Foehr, U. (2004). Kids and Media in America. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Segal, D.A. (1991). The European: Allegories of Racial Purity. Anthropology Today, 7(5), 7-9.

Wallace-Sanders, K. (2009). Southern Memory, Southern Monuments, and The Subversive Black Mammy. Southern Spaces. Web.

Williams, R. (1999). Racism: A case of individual observation. Philadelphia: Zap Books.

Thesis Statement: Single stories pose a significant threat to the cultural integrity, identity, and freedom of oppressed groups of people through the generalization of their cultural characteristics.

Thesis Statement #2: Single stories and stereotype threat are critical social issues that obstruct the freedom and identities of oppressed groups around the world through the generalization of harmful stereotypes.

Single stories and stereotype threat are critical social issues that obstruct the freedom and identities of many people around the world. In this sense, heavily stereotyped groups, such as racial minorities or LGBTQ people, might feel significant pressure from society (Hopper par. 3). In turn, they worry about conforming to the stereotypes, which restrict their freedom of expression (Hopper par. 3). Single stories refer to the overall generalization of a group in one passage that frequently portrays from a negative perspective. This issue is also relevant in formal institutions, including healthcare services, where there are noticeable gaps between racial groups in the United States (Saini para. 10). Consequently, stereotype threat manifests not only in direct harassment but also in unconscious bias. This concept implies that people might unconsciously associate certain groups with stereotypes, which changes their attitudes and perspectives (Marcelin et al. 62). Therefore, it is essential to overcome the stereotypes to mitigate the challenges of single stories.

Some of the most effective methods to eliminate the bias of minority groups are education and social awareness. Chiesa et al. (2) demonstrate that collective strategies of social exchange might reduce the prejudice against older workers in organizations. In this case, education promotes communication and mutual understanding, which are essential to mitigate the stereotype threat. On the other hand, Islam and Asadullah (para. 1) reveal that some education methods might enable the opposite effect. The authors state that unsupervised textbooks might only increase the gap between racial groups and increase the strength of stereotypes (Islam and Asadullah para. 1). Ultimately, education is an effective method to overcome stereotypes, but it should be used with caution.

Works Cited

Chiesa, Rita, et al. Coping with negative stereotypes toward older workers: Organizational and work-related outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 2019.

Hopper, Elizabeth. What is Stereotype Threat? The Negative Effects of Worrying about Confirming a Stereotype. ThoughtCo, 2019, Web.

Islam, K. and Asadullah, N. Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks. Plos One, vol. 13, no. 1, 2018.

Marcelin, Jasmine R., et al. The Impact of Unconscious Bias in Healthcare: How to Recognize and Mitigate it. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 220, 2019, pp. 62-73.

Saini, A. (2020). Stereotype Threat. The Lancer, vol. 395, no. 10237, 2020, pp. 1604-1605.

Discussion

When you encounter the term stereotype you will remember an individual, or group of individuals being labeled in a prejudiced way either on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender. When human beings are exposed to too many stereotypes, they make them eventually internalize and believe and conceive them as a reality. There are many stereotypes people experience in life. This is much exemplified in Judith Ortiz essay, The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria. This short essay brings out the kind of stereotypes perpetuated by the media against the Hispanic women. This paper explains the stereotypes attached to the Hispanic ethnic community, how the stereotypes are perpetuated, and how they may be damaging to this ethnic community.

Stereotypes

In this short narrative, Judith Ortiz Cofer reveals her experiences as a woman from Latin ethnic community. She calmly and vividly relays the struggles she has had to encounter with the ethnic stereotyping in her life. The first scene in this narrative indicates Cofers past experiences with ethnic stereotyping. As she was riding on a bus from London to Oxford, one summer, a young man fell to his feet on seeing her. The young man then started singing his own version of Maria from the west side story. This reminded Cofer of the fact that she will always be exposed to ethnic stereotypes no matter where she is. As long as she is a Latina, she will always experience ethnic stereotypes everywhere (Cofer, 6).

Secondly, she experienced cultural stereotypes as she describes her earlier upbringing in 1960s in New Jersey to have caused her cultural schizophrenia. She was brought up by strict parents when she was a young girl, and as a teenager, her parents required her to act like a proper senorita. She was also amazed that Puerto Rican mothers expected their daughters to act like mature women (Cofer, 204).

Thirdly, there is the element of sexual stereotypes and misconceptions portrayed against Hispanic women. For instance, they are referred to as hot tamales and sexual firebrand. Last but not least, she reveals the stereotype that all Latin women being viewed as housemaids (Cofer, 205).

How these Stereotypes are Perpetuated

According to Cofer, these stereotypes seem to be perpetuated or encouraged in a number of ways. First, when the young man began to sing his own version of Maria, from the west side story, Cofers fellow passengers seemed to be amused with the Youngman instead of giving him a reprimand (Cofer, 6).

Second, cultural prejudice was perpetuated by Puerto Rican mothers who were strict with their daughters and encouraged them to act and behave like mature women. Puerto Rican women are also influenced by their mothers on ways to dress and behave (Cofer, 204).

Third, the sexual stereotype is perpetuated and encouraged by Puerto Rican mothers who influence their daughters on their mode of dressing and behavior. Puerto Rican women often dress promiscuously, described as to keep cool and look sexy. This stereotype was also encouraged by Puerto Rican ritual practices where women dress up in their best outfits, and visit the town plaza to greet young males. According to Coffer, when a Puerto Rican girl dresses in a certain manner, and then meets a boy of mainstream culture, the boy may interpret her looks as a sexual impulse; an emergence of a clash is most likely (Cofer, 204).

How these Stereotypes may be damaging to the Hispanic Community

These stereotypes, dehumanize Latin women where the principle notion about life displayed in Cofers narrative reveals that western societies look down upon Latin women in terms of ethnic stereotyping, sexual tools, or selfless housewives. Stereotypes make societies believe and perpetuate bias about particular ethnic groups. In reality, those stereotypes may not relate to members of that ethnic background.

Work Cited

Cofer, J. The Myth of Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria. Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1993.

Abstract

Social media is one of the most contradicting phenomena of the 21^st century. People can create their accounts, share their thoughts, and exchange news in different ways. People think that they can control social media and gain many benefits. At the same time, social media is characterized by some unpredictable outcomes and impacts. In this paper, the impact of social media on stereotypes towards minorities will be discussed to clarify if it is possible to decrease the negative stereotyping or not. There are many types of minorities, and such platforms as Facebook or Twitter can change the lives of people regarding their social groups and histories. The relations between social media and minorities are hard to explain, and this paper aims at discussing the nature of these relations from different perspectives.

Introduction

Nowadays, it is hard to imagine everyday life without social media. Its strongest characteristic is the impact on people. It means that people are ready to use different sources of social media and believe that they create information and control its impact on the readers and users. However, today, social media is a massive issue that can be used to support or abuse people (Farrington, Hall, Kilvington, Prince, & Saeed, 2014). Many types of minorities live around. They are based on religious, ethnic, racial, language, and other issues.

In this paper, it is expected to investigate the frequent types of minorities and the ways they can use social media to solve their problems and be introduced to society. Besides, it is necessary to investigate the rise of social media and its possible impact on people, who want their voices to be heard. Finally, the discussions on how social media can change the lives of minorities and decrease negative stereotypes will be developed. The integration of social media in human life cannot be neglected or misunderstood, and minorities are the groups of people who should try to use the impact of social media to achieve certain benefits and improvements.

Rise of Social Media

Though social media is a relatively new term (Farrington et al., 2014), its actual impact and history remain significant. It is possible to investigate the spread of media during the times of Cicero and compare its impact with the impact of social media on modern people. As a rule, such factors as speed, quality, and the possibility to comment on news and stories are considered. Today, people can use social media for different purposes. For example, on the one hand, it is possible to access the World Wide Web and read the latest news, observe events, and get to know what people think about different things. On the other hand, people use the Internet to share their knowledge and experience, to inform each other about something, and to develop personal opinions on different topics.

Social media has many definitions. It may be interpreted as a method of interactions between people or several computer-mediated technologies with the help of which people can create and share their ideas. Farrington et al. (2014) suggest defining social media as a collection of tools that increase peoples ability to cooperate and take collective action. Today, there are many examples of social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, etc. Not many people can admit the fact that they depend on something. That is the main source of social media power and its fast and influential rise in society.

Importance of Minorities Voices

The role of social media is impressive indeed because different social groups get a chance to introduce themselves, understand each other, and be understood by others (Leavitt, Covarrubias, Perez, & Fryberg, 2015). Such an impact of social media cannot be neglected when the representatives of different minority groups try to demonstrate their opinions and prove the chosen positions.

Sometimes, the presence of minorities may help to stabilize society and create the required portion of the order. However, in most cases, the development of negative stereotypes towards minorities can prevent the establishment of trustful and fair relations between people and decrease the speed of social and other types of progress. Especially, much attention is paid to the way of how different social groups are introduced in social media. For example, Latinos suffer from the stereotypes developed in social media where they are represented as violent and hypersexual people, unsuccessful students, or parents with no interest in their children (Scharrer & Ramasubramanian, 2015). African Americans are portrayed as negative and violent people with several ambitions and crude, single-item measurements (Tukachinsky, Mastro, & Yarchi, 2015).

It is wrong and unfair to judge people in regard to their nationality, ethnicity, or other factors that make people different. Social media is a tool that can be used by people so that they can be heard and understood. Ethnic minorities may use media platforms to introduce themselves, strengthen their identities awareness, and improve their language, cultural, and historical heritage (Rankovic, 2012). Some people find it necessary to use blogs and other services to educate each other and contribute to peoples well-being (Bull, 2016). Different minorities have different knowledge to share with other people in terms of medicine, science, technology, or psychology. Their experience is the best and, what is more important, a free source of information.

Types of Minorities in Social Media

Some people may think that stereotypes developed in social media differ because of the types of minorities offered. There are many types of hierarchies of minorities that may be linked not only to religion, language, or race but also to the length of time within the frames of which an ethnic community exists (Alia & Bull, 2006). It is hard to cover the challenges all groups of people may face within social media. Therefore, in this paper, certain attention is paid to several minority groups, including racial differences such as Latinos, African-Americans, and Native Americans and their invisibility (Leavitt et al., 2015), and religious minorities such as Jewish and Islamic people. Social media is a chance for them to describe their interests and make other people accept them as they are.

Social Media and Biased Stereotypes

Social media may be defined as a threat and a possibility for people to be accepted or ignored by society. Minorities undergo a considerable impact on social media. From one point of view, the media may not cover the main problems minorities face in real life (Crowley, 2015). Therefore, it is possible to say that social media cannot introduce a clear, full picture of how minorities are treated, what information minorities try to present, and why people continue using social media.

There is also another aspect of social media and its possible to call into question different stereotypical views and mitigate the negative effects of stereotypes (Scharrer & Ramasubramanian, 2015). Sometimes, it is enough to create a theme for discussion and involve several people to make them invite other people. With time, one single topic may become a huge topic with some aspects and opinions. People may share their attitudes, discuss their cultural or religious backgrounds, and explain why it is not always fair to believe what other people say.

Conclusion

In general, the investigations on social media and its impact on the development of stereotypes towards minorities prove the inability to predict the results and gain control over all activities taken and words written. Despite an impressive power of social media and peoples ability to use Twitter, Facebook, or other platforms any time they want, it is impossible to predict the impact these social services may have on people and minorities, in particular. However, the possibilities to express personal opinions, share individual thoughts, and make corrections any time it may be needed are the peculiar features of social media. Nothing makes people follow or avoid the information offered via social media platforms. People are free to use their knowledge and preferences. At the same time, people cannot neglect the fact that social media does impact their lives in different ways. It is high time to comprehend if it is a positive or negative impact.

References

Alia, V., & Bull, S. (2006). Media and ethnic minorities. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press.

Bull, J. (2016). Using social media to teach consumers about heart health [Blog post]. Web.

Crowley, M. (2015). Stereotypes, social networks and white privilege: What the media are not saying about unemployment among African American college graduates. Work in Progress. Web.

Farrington, N., Hall, L., Kilvington, D., Prince, J., & Saeed, A. (2014). Sport, racism and social media. New York, NY: Routledge.

Leavitt, P.A., Covarrubias, R., Perez, Y.A., & Fryberg, S.A. (2015). Frozen in time: The impact of Native American media representations on identity and self-understanding. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 39-53.

Rankovic, L. (2012, January 8). Minority voices on social media networks. European Journalism Observation. Web.

Scharrer, E., & Ramasubramanian, S. (2015). Intervening in the medias influence on stereotypes of race and ethnicity: The role of media literacy education. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 171-185.

Tukachinsky, R., Mastro, D., & Yarchi, M. (2015). Documenting portrayals of race/ethnicity on primetime television over a 20-year span and their association with national-level racial/ethnic attitudes. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 17-38.

Character Description

• Character: Raymond Reddington.
• Television show: The Blacklist.

The Blacklist is an ongoing American crime thriller television series that airs every Friday at 8 PM on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The show premiered on 23rd September 2013 and is currently on its eighth season, claiming that it has been renewed for a ninth season already in 2021-2022 (The Blacklist, 2021). It follows through Raymond Reddingtons life (James Spader), a former navy officer who voluntarily turns himself in after evading capture for years. He supposedly has a list of high-profile criminals, which he is willing to exchange for immunity. As a result, he ends up being an informant for a secret Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) task force. In 2014, the series won the primetime creative arts Emmy Awards for outstanding stunt coordination for a drama series and was nominated in several other categories in the same year (The Blacklist, 2021). Currently, it is rated 91% by Rotten Tomatoes, 8.7/10 by Tv.com, and 8/10 on IMDb, which is a good rating (The Blacklist, 2021). Additionally, it is among the top 100 rated series of 2019-2020.

Raymond Reddington is the main character on the show, and it revolves around him. He is a bald genius stereotype portrayed through the events that occur from the first episode to where it is currently. Reddington is all-knowing, and he makes calculated moves that are somewhat unfathomable. He has networks across the world and has connections with both good and bad people, and whatever decision he makes portrays the decision-making skills of a knowledgeable person. The FBI constantly depends on him for information while he uses their resources for his gain. For instance, in one episode, he helps the task force track General Ludd to get him arrested and steal his money and secure a hard drive containing currency blueprints (The Blacklist, 2021). In another episode, he says to one of the characters: You see that Geoff, that is what an intelligent man does. That is what separates men like me from men like you.

According to a study by Tanja Baudson (2016), male baldness is linked heavily to intelligence and success. Even in TV shows, it may be found in such characters as Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Vin Diesel, who often take geniuses roles, making rather intelligent decisions and calculated moves. This establishes bald men as such and consequently increases their perception in this way, creating an unwarranted stereotype. He, for instance, cites the movie Jumanji which involves Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Kevin Hart, who has a lot of hair in the film, is portrayed as dumb, while Dwayne Johnson is the strong, intelligent one and is also the voice of reason.

Concept Application

Concepts: Ultimate Attribution Error, the Halo Effect, and Self-fulfilling Stereotypes

A character such as Raymond Reddington can be analyzed under the Ultimate Attribution Error. This error arises when an individuals behavior is explained in terms of their disposition instead of their situation. Individuals who believe in the bald genius stereotype are likely to demonstrate a bald mans intelligent decisions and behavior on his disposition. For instance, if a bald man was the head of an organization that was on the verge of collapsing and he made a decision that turned the firms fortune around, people might think it is a natural occurrence because he is bald and, hence, intelligent (Radeke & Stahelski, 2020). However, if a non-bald makes the same decision, then most people are likely to link that the outcome depends on the decision itself and not on his natural intellect (Baudson, 2016). However, this does not mean that either of them is naturally intelligent, though such stereotypes are made entirely from the beliefs people have about male baldness.

This stereotype can also be understood using the concept of the Halo Effect. As defined in Week 6 Module, the halo effect is the attractiveness stereotype, which tends to assign positive qualities and traits to physically attractive people. The bald genius stereotype encourages people to be attracted to bald men and gives them other positive attributes. For instance, they are deemed to have better mental health, great intelligence, and higher mortality. However, men who are not bald are considered criminals and linked to criminal activities (Radeke & Stahelski, 2020). Ladies are also likely to be attracted to bald men instead of non-bald ones as they deem them more successful and accord them pore positive qualities.

Finally, Raymond can be analyzed using the concept of self-fulfilling stereotypes. This aspect changes how people act, making them have behaviors that portray the stereotype. Therefore, the bald genius stereotype encourages people to think of bald men as intelligent individuals. Consequently, if such perceptions become dominant, such people are likely to engage in intelligent talks and discussions. Thus, they are likely to assume such a trait based on such treatment as they are deemed intelligent by most people (Radeke & Stahelski, 2020). Even in schools, tutors are likely to ensure that bald male students are assigned more challenging tasks because of the assumed higher academic ability and interest. This may have a positive effect on them depending on their perception of the teachers treatment.

Summary and Conclusion

The bald genius stereotype can lead to an inaccurate explanation and perception of bald mens intelligence and success. This is the effect that stereotypes in TV shows and movies have on how people view each other globally. Additionally, this affects the interactions that one has with bald men, making them view themselves as intelligent and successful. Though this might be a good thing, the effect that it has on non-bald men is unnecessary. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge that such concepts as the halo effect, self-fulling stereotypes, and ultimate attribution errors portrayed by the bald genius exist only in movies. Therefore, such must be differentiated from reality to ensure that equity and equality are upheld.

References

Baudson, T. (2016). The bald genius stereotype: Still alive and well. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. Web.

Radeke, M., & Stahelski, A. (2020). Altering age and gender stereotypes by creating the Halo and Horns Effects with facial expressions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1). Web.

The Blacklist. Vulture. (2021). Web.

The issue of race and its perception by the public is quite relevant now. In this context, it is worth noting the mass media. The importance of this outlet is because it is a direct representative of public attitudes and opinions and conveys how people relate to a representative of racial minorities. Moreover, the media has become a source of strengthening stereotypical thinking toward national and ethnic communities, which has a negative impact. However, it is worth noting that in modern society, there is a tendency to form a tolerant attitude and representation of different races. Thus, this research paper will explore the role that media play in racial representation and the formation of stereotypes.

Within the framework of this work, several forms of media sources were analyzed. The main criterion was a study of how they represent racial communities, primarily Black. Moreover, the attitude that was traced in media sources was analyzed. Among the resources were examined newspapers, films, and social networks. This choice was justified by the fact that these are the most widely used types of media currently. However, it is worth noting that newspapers are receiving less attention due to the spread of the influence of social networks.

The mass media is one of the most potent sources for forming opinions on a particular problem. The same thing happens concerning the representation of people of a particular race. Often, opinions expressed in media sources carry a negative connotation and contribute to the formation or strengthening of existing stereotypes. It is worth noting that the behavior regarding race can be expressed either directly or hidden and can only be tracked through certain elements. Hence, in newspapers and social networks, it can be descriptive phrases, and in visual media, it can be specially shown pictures.

Thus, media sources can be one of the tools for forming certain opinions and stereotypes about different races and nationalities. It is worth emphasizing that not only Black communities but also Asian and Latin populations suffer from stereotypes and underrepresentation in the media. The criticality of the problem lies in the fact that these people already face inequality in social, economic, and political terms. Desmond and Emirbayer (2010) show that race and nationality are overlapping symbolic categories that influence how people see themselves and others and how they divide different groups. Negative representation in the media can only worsen the situation and distance society from fully accepting the concepts of tolerance and equality.

The media has a powerful impact on people, especially the younger generation. This is because it is most vulnerable and open to the exposure of various social networks. Children consume opinions and views that are transmitted to them through these outlets. As a consequence, if they see too much harmful content regarding the attitude towards the presented oppressed races, then they may form undesirable behavior regarding them. Consequently, there is a probability that they will spread such opinions among peers, and it will take root in society, which is a highly undesirable trend. Modern society is gradually making successful attempts to limit the negative consequences of discrimination, and the negative impact on the younger generation of media sources is a threat to this process.

However, this trend is not enough to limit the negative impact and effect that the media have on the formation of ideas about races and nationalities. An example could be the phrases like Black students are disciplined more because they are loud and its their culture or It was a cultural thing that there seem to be a lot of African American kids who think fighting is a solution to everything (Reyes-Valardeb 2022, para. 5). When reading this kind of statements, individuals automatically get the impression that all representatives of the black population are prone to violent actions and may show aggression. Subsequently, this translates into their daily lives, where racism and unequal treatment of minorities can get their manifestation.

Thus, after analyzing media sources, it can be concluded that they are powerful drivers for strengthening negative cultural stereotypes, especially about racial communities. Regarding television and the sphere, representatives of racial minorities rarely get dominant roles, and the plot associated with them often follows cliche narratives. Even though many pictures raise the problem of racial inequality, this industry is still experiencing the consequences of past years. The slavery that reigned in the United States of America left its imprint on the media sphere. Pursuing the goal of spreading awareness about the difficulties and problems of that time, film productions contribute to the formation of a stereotype that African American population still cannot be equated with white.

It is worth noting that media sources that represent the black population as aggressive and violent have a particularly negative impact. As already mentioned, even at first glance, simple phrases can contribute to the formation of a wrong opinion about this group of people. Moreover, often, representatives of non-dominant communities, such as Latinos or African Americans, are portrayed in poverty and lacking conditions for a full-fledged comfortable life. In addition, much research confirms that black people are disproportionately portrayed as criminals, while white people are more often shown as the victims of crime (Jan 2017, para. 5). Thus, media sources overlook the fact that crimes are committed by representatives of any racial communities but choose to pay attention to violence and a high crime rate among African Americans and other racial minorities. The concerning aspect is that these manifestations remain without much attention since they fall under stereotypes that have deep roots in the public consciousness. It is essential to know that the further education of people of all ages and groups can help to distinguish between truth and falsehood and, therefore, expose dominance in the classroom (Desmond & Emirbayer 2010). Thus, it is emphasized that teaching tolerance and equality can play a role in limiting stereotypes and increasing the positive representation of races in the media.

Therefore, the analysis of media sources has shown that different races and nationalities receive a reasonably fair representation in media sources. The tolerance and inclusion of Blacks, Asians, and Latinos in various film projects and TV series are gaining more and more power and popularity. Moreover, an increasing number of people are raising the topic of equality in social networks. Thus, a large number of influencers focus on the dissemination of awareness about the rights of minorities. In many articles and social media posts, people refer to black people as African Americans, Black folks, and the Black people (Capehart 2020). However, it is worth noting that these works were written by black authors. They have a relatively tolerant attitude to this community.

Frequently, people in power are responsible for the situation with the representation of racial groups in the media and society. The article emphasizes that the fact is, when the systems begin to fail, its the people at the bottom who suffer, while those who reign from above insulate themselves from the pain others feel (Coleman 2022, para. 12). As can be seen, the solution to the problem investigated in this work is that the initiative comes not only from the disadvantaged minorities and their supporters but is also motivated in the upper leading layers. Hence, these may be government documents that will determine the level of presence of minorities in movies or TV series. In addition, it may be a decree on the use of a specific language in relation, for example, to African Americans, Asians, or Latinos.

This work aimed to study the representation of races in media sources. Newspapers, social networks, movies, and TV series were analyzed. It was noted that in most cases, the black population is represented in the media as aggressive, violent, and involved in crimes. Moreover, representatives of racial minorities rarely have a leading role in the cinema, and their plots are basic and unmemorable. However, in modern society, especially in social networks, the concepts of tolerance and equality are gaining strength, which is becoming a positive trend for racial minorities. In conclusion, this topic requires further research and examination to spread awareness about the importance of changing the perception and representation of races in the media.

References

Capehart, Jonathan. 2020. Why Black people are afraid of crazy White people.

Capehart, Jonathan. 2022. Ordinary self-defense doesnt exactly apply to Black people. The Washington Post.

Desmond, Matthew, and Mustafa Emirbayer. 2010. Racial domination, racial progress: The sociology of race in America. New York: McGraw Hill.

Jan, Tracy. 2017. News media offers consistently warped portrayals of black families, study finds. The Washington Post.

Reyes-Valardeb, Alejandra. 2022. Black students more harshly disciplined in Victor Valley high schools, feds say. The Los Angeles Times.

Introduction

Nowadays, the world faces the problem of battling terrorism and its expansion. Many countries are involved in the confrontation with terrorists, which causes the formation of certain stereotypes of a typical Arab portrayed in the popular and news media. It is generally recognized that a negative image of Arabs and Muslims created by the media helps to promote military actions in the countries of the Middle East and influences American Arabs and Muslims who are not connected to the terrorist organizations and do not support extremism. Therefore, it is crucial to study the issue of typical stereotypes created by the media over the past decade.

Analysis

Although the United States is making progress in confronting racial stereotypes, the new ones are arising in the course of time, including the recent popularity of labeling all the Arabs and Muslims as terrorists. Some researchers state that after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, discrimination in the workplace against persons perceived to be Arabs or Muslims is rising (Saleem and Anderson 84). It is also admitted that according to the FBI, hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims multiplied by 1,600 percent from 2000 to 2001 (Alsultany 161). After more than a decade the image of Arabs as extremists and terrorists is common in the mass media. It is generally recognized that the majority of Americans rely on the media as the main source of knowledge about Arabs who are often presented as aggressive and angry because of the War on Terrorism. Thus, negative images of Arabs linked with violence and terrorism are widespread and popular today.

It is stated that these negative stereotypes are prevalent not only in the news and newspapers but also in the films and video games. Some researchers emphasize that in such games as Americas Army and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare being an Arab video game character is almost synonymous with being a terrorist (Saleem and Anderson 85). According to some social-cognitive models, peoples memories and attitudes are formed through the complex network of nodes, which represent emotions and cognitions. Therefore, the negative description of certain groups in the media activates unpleasant associations in peoples minds and is more likely to be remembered. Some researchers state that the association of Arabs with terrorists is similar to the way the Afro-Americans are associated with crime (Saleem et al. 843).

It is crucial to note that any stereotypic presentation of a certain ethnic or social group as violent may cause the outspread of negative attitudes and aggression against the members of this group. Moreover, it is emphasized that even positive representations of Arabs have helped to form a new kind of racism, one that projects antiracism and multiculturalism on the surface but simultaneously produces the logic and effects necessary to legitimize racist policies and practices (Alsultany 162). Thus, it is possible to say that the Arabs are demonized because of the war with terrorists that the United States is waging.

Although the majority of political leaders differentiate the general outgroup of Arabs from the small subset of Muslim extremists implicated in the War on Terror, most Americans tend to generalize the concept of the Muslim as an enemy. It is generally recognized that the stereotypes serve as an example of a humans inclination to categorization, elevating ones group above the others. The main purpose of stereotypes is to understand whether the given group threatens the well-being of an individual or it is safe to interact with it. It is also stated that most Americans have the goals that differ from those of Muslims.

According to some researchers, content analysis of news coverage of Muslims does not necessarily support the strongest claims of negative media bias but does find patterns that may contribute to the perception that Muslims are threatening (Sides and Gross 587). It is emphasized that the stories about Arabs and Muslims in the media usually include crisis, conflict, and war, aggregating them by their religion and nationality. Nevertheless, the media recognizes that they may be wealthy, referring to the image of the powerful sheik. Thus, in the minds of common Americans, the typical Arab or Muslim is associated with the enemy who is powerful enough to threaten their existence. This attitude is milder towards American Arabs still they are regarded as untrustworthy.

The Islamophobic content in different kinds of media tends to grow increasingly. The role of social media has become significant over the last years as well. Some of the internet societies are gaining the functions of newspapers and may influence peoples attitudes on certain issues. As the analysis of Törnberg and Törnberg shows, the Arabs are usually portrayed in the internet forums as a homogeneous outgroup, embroiled in conflict, violence, and extremism: characteristics that are described as emanating from Islam as a religion (133). It is stated that Arabs and Muslims are negatively represented not only in the American media but also in the European media and social media worldwide. It may be related to the constant terrorist attacks in the various cities of Europe as well. Moreover, it is a widespread opinion that promoting the negative image of the enemy is common during the war.

Conclusion

The studies on stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the media prove that they are rated as violent and untrustworthy. It is also stated that the negative image of Arabs in the media encourages people to support the War on Terror. Thus, the negative Arab stereotypes form the image of the enemy that influences the minds of common people.

Works Cited

Alsultany, Evelyn. Arabs and Muslims in the Media after 9/11: Representational Strategies for a Postrace Era. American Quarterly, vol. 65, no.1, 2013, pp. 161-169.

Saleem, Muniba, et al. Exposure to Muslims in Media and Support for Public Policies Harming Muslims. Communication Research, vol. 44, no. 6, 2017, pp. 841-869.

Saleem, Muniba, and Craig A. Anderson. Arabs as Terrorists: Effects of Stereotypes within Violent Contexts on Attitudes, Perceptions, and Affect. Psychology of Violence, vol. 3, no. 1, 2013, p. 84.

Sides, John, and Kimberly Gross. Stereotypes of Muslims and Support for the War on Terror. The Journal of Politics, vol. 75, no. 3, 2013, pp. 583-598.

Törnberg, Anton, and Petter Törnberg. Muslims in Social Media Discourse: Combining Topic Modeling and Critical Discourse Analysis. Discourse, Context & Media, vol. 13, no. 1, 2016, pp. 132-142.

Intercultural communication is a process during which people gain new perception experiences. Still, numerous cultural patterns and stereotypes can impede the clarity and effectiveness of intercultural communication. Besides, when participants are not paying attention to the non-verbal messages they are sending or lack the verbal culture, communication may not take place at all. This paper aims to discuss cultural issues addressed in the movie Coffee and Cigarettes in terms of cultural identities, differences, stereotypes, traditions, conflicts, and misunderstandings.

The movie Coffee and Cigarettes, directed by Jim Jarmusch, was chosen for the subsequent analysis. The film consists of eleven short films, each featuring Jims favorite actors and musicians drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and having intriguing, mysterious, and sometimes really weird dialogues about their life (Jarmusch, 2003). It stars Bill Murray, Kate Blanchett, Jack and Meg White (The White Stripes), Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Isaach De Bankolé, Renée French, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, GZA and RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), and other celebrities.

It should be mentioned that the verbal and non-verbal communication of all characters is well nuanced, and the cultural identity of each character is greatly accentuated in the film. It seems logical, as scientists consider cultural identity to be the key element of intercultural communication. Moreover, verbal and non-verbal communication is widely seen as the main instrument for transmitting communication messages (Baldwin, Coleman, González, & Shenoy-Packer, 2014, p. 91).

The film also actualizes cultural-psychological issues like the perception of time, the meaning of preceding events, striving for consistency and cognitive balance, attribution as the locus of control, the importance of self-perception.

In the short film Strange to Meet You (1986), Stephen Wright meets Roberto Benigni in the street cafe. It looks like they have set the meeting in advance. Roberto tries to establish tactile contact with Steve, shaking his hands enthusiastically when meeting him. He seeks a shared emotional experience putting questions like A good cafe, isnt it? Do you love me, dont you? Good coffee, they say coffee is good for health. Stephen says that he loves coffee, that coffee is considered to be unhealthy, and initiates a strange monologue about how coffee affects his dreams.

Roberto tries to interrupt him by patting his shoulder and asks if Steve knows his mother. He speaks his phrases loudly as if he does not hear the interlocutor. Steve replies, No, why should I know your mother? and ads that it would be nice to freeze coffee and sell iced coffee on sticks like iced Pepsi Cola. It is hard for Roberto to keep track of Steves quick speech; he is getting angry and says he does not understand anything. Roberto is more interested in the atmosphere of the cafe and enjoys a new environment.

Steve is more interested in a meaningful conversation, but he cannot start it with Roberto. The tension between the interlocutors is gradually growing since no one wants to change their communication strategy. As a result, Steve offers to switch to hear each other better, but this does not help. Confused and angry, Roberto is looking for an excuse to leave and asks Steve if he could see a dentist instead of him, Steve agrees.

It makes sense to figure out what went wrong in the characters communication. Roberto, who belongs to a more openhearted ethnic group, was trying to find common ground, relying on similarities of emotional experiences (Shiraev & Levy, 2016, p.152). He also attempted to use emotions as an evaluation, but to no avail  the gloomy northerner Steve turned down all his attempts (Shiraev & Levy, p. 161). At the same time, Roberto did not understand why Steve was trying to tell him about his dreams and fantasies because, in Robertos culture, dreams are not given much importance (Shiraev & Levy, p.110).

Thus, the psychological tendency of northern cultures towards individualism and looser relationships between people comparing to the southern lifestyles, more prone to collectivism and tight connections, could become an obstacle to effective communication.

Finally, the characters were speaking different languages in the most literal sense of the word. Therefore, even the considerably high level of personages social development could not reverse the fact that nonverbal messages are only a part of the communication process (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2017, p. 59). Most likely, that is why the heroes of Strange to Meet You initially did not have a single chance to understand each other.

The main characters of the short film Twins (1989), Joie Lee and Cinqué Lee, a guy and a girl, African-Americans are chatting, smoking, and drinking coffee, sitting at a table in the cafe. They are dressed stylishly, and almost identically, their faces are relaxed; the gestures of their beautiful, well-groomed hands are simultaneous. Suddenly, a waiter Steve Buscemi, a white American, wedges into their dialogue. He spills coffee, begins to wipe it roughly with the crumpled napkins, and starts a conversation, wondering if they guys are twins. The waiter says they remind him of Jenny and Michael Jackson.

Steve asks permission to sit down, takes a seat between the twins, asks which of them is an evil twin, and tells the story about the evil twin of Elvis Presley. The twins listen to him half-ear, adding sugar to each other cups; they are not feeling enthusiastic about the story. Joie says that Elvis Presley was buying hits from African-American singers and composers, paying 10 dollars for composition, and lists Elvis songs and the names of their authors.

The waiter says that according to his theory, it was the evil twin of Elvis; Joie objects, So this is normal then, aye. Cinqué adds that Elvis claimed that he could only see people of color when they were cleaning his shoes. The waiter replies that the king could not say such things. The chef calls the waiter, so he pats them on the back and leaves. The twins escort Steve through an offensive toast and continue to drink their coffee. The girl scolds her brother that he is wearing her sweater and her shoes and that he does not have his style.

The first thing one may notice when watching the Twins short film is how sharply and unexpectedly Steve breaks into the personal space of the twins. He is not aware of the first principle of cultural dichotomy described by Shiraev & Levy (2016), which states that there are fewer differences than one might think (p. 44). For some reason, Steve does not notice his tactlessness, and the modestly aggressive reaction of the twins does not impress him. He has a stereotypical idea that youngsters should be open to communication, and he is happy with everything.

As for the content of the conversation, the second part of the principle of cultural dichotomy may be applied. Namely, there are more differences than one might expect (Shiraev & Levy, 2016, p. 45). The twins should have a different attitude to Elvis than Steve since they belong to another ethnic group. Twins and Steve have entirely different values; they are feeling good about totally different views (Shiraev & Levy, p. 291).

Besides, the twins are much younger than Steve, which also has an impact on their perception, as young people are much more vulnerable and susceptible than adults (Shiraev & Levy, p. 211). It is because they are only shaping their cultural identity, while the identity of an adult is already formed. To avoid misunderstandings, Steve should have paid attention to the stereotypical nature of his perception and show a little more tact and sanity.

In all eleven short films, Jarmusch presents the most trivial issues from an uncustomary angle. Those Things Will Kill Ya and Delirium deal with patterns of health, science, and spirituality. Champagne shows the differences in attitude to the life and death of the atheist and believer. The plot of No Problem is based on a cultural pattern of self-help. Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil illustrates the desire for control over the forces of nature inherent in Western cultures. Since the truth is born in the collision of different opinions and views, watching the Coffee and Cigarettes movie makes people think about the deepest and most significant layers of human life.

Thus, the cultural issues addressed in the movie Coffee and Cigarettes were discussed. To summarize, personages of the Strange to Meet You short film were initially doomed to communication failure since communication cannot take place in the absence of its verbal form. At the same time, the waiter should have shown more tact and sanity to avoid the misunderstanding between the characters of the Twins short film.

References

Baldwin, J. R., Coleman, R. R. M., González, A., & Shenoy-Packer, S. (2014). Intercultural communication for everyday life. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Jarmusch, J. (Director). (2003). Coffee and Cigarettes [Video file]. Web.

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2017). Communication between cultures (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2016). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. Abingdon-on-Thames, UK: Routledge.

Are racial stereotypes still a thing? The answer is completely, yes. Unconsciously or not, everyone has used these stereotypes. Racial stereotyping has been persistent throughout history and is still evident in our culture today. Racial stereotypes are aided by what airs on the news, and in the popular media. These harmful descriptions negatively impact people of different races, backgrounds, and ethnicities. Racial stereotypes are described as, “automatic and exaggerated mental pictures formed about all members of a particular racial group” (University of Notre Dame). Rather than getting to know somebody for who they truly are, we assume they are the same as people that look like them. Not only is this notion ridiculous, it’s effects can lead to even bigger problems such as discrimination and racism. Racial stereotypes are present everywhere. It is especially concerning when these stereotypes appear in our education systems, workplaces, advertisements, and social media.

These racial stereotypes are present everywhere we look. Systematically, racism is present in our school systems through standardized testing that’s made for dominant cultures. The predictability in test scores in itself shows us that racism is still institutionalized. There is no reason to assume that a certain racial group should perform better than another group just because of their skin color. Throughout school, “curriculum is very singular. If you don’t fit that box, then you’re an outlier” (Hassan). These cookie cutter ways only allow for a select few kids to excel, leaving other kids behind. There are plenty of negative effects that come from racial stereotypes in our education systems. Not only are there serious psychological problems that arise in the people being stereotyped, there are also problems in the fact that, ”If these stereotypes go unchecked, people will go their whole lives believing in them” (Hassan). A lot of stereotypes, racist beliefs, and misconceptions about people of color would be eradicated and or changed if people knew their history. It is very important to teach future generations about different ethnicities, usually, most schools go about this wrong. By learning how to properly educate the future youth, we are creating an environment less consumed by racial stereotypes and social expectations based on race.

Racial stereotypes are concerning when brought into the workplace. These stereotypes are not always apparent, “microaggression is the modern form of racism” (Hirsch). These subtle or sometimes unintentional stereotypes can cause people of color to question their belonging. Not only does it negatively affect the way the minority workers see themselves, it can lead to even bigger problems like discrimination. What starts off as a light hearted “joke” can easily turn into prejudice. These jokes imply a stereotype, whether we mean for them to or not. Using someone’s culture against them, coherently allows you to have power over them. If we are not careful, workplace stereotypes can lead to an overall bias about a certain race. If co-workers believe that someone isn’t as hard working because of their skin color, and in turn, takes responsibilities away from them, they are falling into these false ideations. Powerful companies need to be weary of this when hiring workers. I’m a recent case, Tesla has been accused of a racist work environment. Former workers, “depict a segregated factory hostile to black and Hispanic workers where the n-word was routinely used by employees, and minorities were passed over for promotion” (Coren). Not only are discriminatory words being used against them, they are also deprived of growth in the industry. Missed opportunities are a huge impact on many minorities, and will continue to affect them if we do not make it known that this treatment is not only unfair, but unjust.

Social media influences the way we see people. Unfortunately, the media does a poor job at representing and advocating for people of color. Advertising has a long history of racism, “in the rare cases that black people were portrayed in ads, they were invariably depicted as subservient, ignorant and unattractive” (Robinson). Big companies tend to cater to the majority. Although not all advertisements are meant to be offensive, some indirectly are. In recent years, “companies have started to use cartoonish images of black people, and bleach and soap brands, like Pears, “jokingly” claimed their products could lighten dark skin” (Robinson). We’ve gotten to the point where it’s normal to see stereotypes in advertisements. This is evidently problematic. The way people of color are portrayed is a direct result of the broad generalizations made by the public. The more we see these stereotypes normalized, the easier it is to justify using them. Not only does it make it seem like it’s okay for adults to use them, it also affects our youth. Unknowingly to them, kids are filling their heads with these stereotypes. Thus creating a vicious cycle. Instead of looking at an individual, we just think of them as groups and then we assume everyone is the same in the group. So often, kids of color aren’t able to see themselves in the media. It is important that kids are able to see themselves in people from the past.

Not only do we see racial stereotyping take place in advertisements, these false images appear everywhere in the entertainment industry. Whether we know it or not, we tend to gravitate towards people who share the same views as us. We can describe this as, “a psychological phenomenon called group polarization, we try to communicate with people who are like us. This causes us to become more extreme in our views” (Prax). This can potentially cause people who are stereotypical only sometimes, to start to use stereotypes more often. A direct example of the stereotyping that takes place in the media is, “the racial and gender practices in Hollywood, which predominantly casts white men as heroes, while erasing or subordinating other groups as villains, sidekicks, and sexual objects” (Yuen). These common racial views can skew the way viewers categorize and understand people. Not only do these images cause misconceptions about certain ethnicities, it also causes confusion and questioning for minority individuals. The way the popular media depicts certain groups of people directly impacts the way youth of these groups grow and develop. If a child of color doesn’t see themselves in movies, or tv shows, they will begin to question their belonging in their community. If we do not begin to take the under representation seriously, people who are not minorities will begin to think they are superior. This could cause even bigger problems in our future.

We see racial stereotypes pop up everywhere in our daily lives. “Stereotype threat effects are very robust and affect all stigmatised groups” (Zawisza). Stereotyping begins at a young age. No one is born racist. No one is born knowing how to marginalize another group, they are taught it. Whether it be by parents who are unknowingly, or knowingly giving off subtle stereotypical images, or what they hear on the news. Whether you believe it or not, stereotypes float around touching almost everything and everyone in our daily lives. For some, stereotypes are a reality that they face every day. If you believe that you haven’t experienced being stereotyped, you may want to take a closer look at yourself. It could be you’re the one enforcing them. Stereotypes can cause trauma and other serious psychological effects. Increased aggression and anger towards people, and a lack of self-esteem are direct results of stereotyping. There are both long-term and short-term effects of stereotypes, all of which are negative. You may think racism is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, that is untrue. Although racism no longer takes place in the form ps segregation and discrimination as we’ve seen in the past, it is still present in our society. We see it in different forms today because, “racism isn’t always going to look like racism” (Atlanta). Whether it be the enforcer or the victim, racial stereotypes can damage the way we see ourselves or the way we see others. If we aren’t careful, stereotypes can lead to violence, racism, and discrimination. We have black and brown people in this country that have been pervasively abused by white people it’s become a natural response for them to mistrust. This learned behavior has natural consequences through what they have been taught time and time over by their ancestors.

There is no way to abolish racial stereotypes altogether, but can work to combat them in many ways. We can increase our awareness of racial stereotypes. By getting to know other people and their ethnicity, it can help erase the subconscious bias we have around people of that background. The more we know about other religions, the easier it is to depict what is offensive and what is not. We as a society seem to always tip for around the subject of race because we’re scared to ask. By asking people about who they are, it gives value to them, and is also a source of pride. We need to work on eliminating the stigma around talking about race and religion. By doing so, so many doors open, and with that, so many conversations. One conversation could change the way people view a certain group, and could in turn eliminate their use of stereotypes.

Abstract

This paper will investigate the evidence on whether or not video games are as harmful as they have been portrayed in the media over the years. It will discuss the history of video games over the last thirty years including defining the environment, the history with the media and how gaming and its impacts have changed over those years. In order to fully understand the impacts a discussion take places on why males involve themselves in the game industry and environment and explores the affects this involvement has on distinct groups within the male study ages. An exploration of the different development and social impacts video game involvement has on teenage males is discussed at length. For the purpose of the study group and affected individuals input a survey was taken for two separate groups impacted by video game usage. One was deployed for parents with sons and one for males who play video games. Their input was complied, compared and discussed against what the statistics claim to be true of video games. In conclusion it is decided whether or not video games are an addiction or a healthy outlet and what recommendations can be made for the current perceived problem with our male youth and video games.

Keywords: addiction, outlet, video games, gaming industry, game addiction, teenage males

Addiction or Outlet

Video games and the media have long had a heated and somewhat tormented relationship. In the past as well as in the current state of our country many times when our country suffers another loss from a violent act, we see news anchors discuss whether or not violent video games incite violent behavior. It has also been brought up whether or not it hinders development in younger children who are introduced to video games too early and that is stunts or affects their social and life skills. Though video games can or could become an addiction to some male teenagers and possibly expose them to unintended graphic situations, video games can also be a healthy outlet when properly monitored. Those unintended side effects can be avoided with proper steps and steer video game usage in a better, less influential method of release. It can help those who struggle in social situations or with social or anxiety disorders. Video games can also give those same people an appropriate outlet, relief from stress, confidence in themselves and improved concentration. My research aims to demonstrate that with the proper support video games can be a healthy outlet for teenage males and though there may be an association to behavioral issues, causation does not always equal correlation, but that when left unchecked and not monitored, it can become a trigger.

History

The history of video games is a long and interesting one between the development of the actual technology used to play them and the work that goes into actual game development. Though video games have been around for over six decades, for the purpose of this research we are only going to go back to the 1990s, when the technology really started to rise. The early nineties are when home consoles and video games really started to see a rise. Sega and NES were becoming household names and we “saw the release of a wealth of popular games on both consoles, including new franchises such as Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat” which sparked conversations all the way to the government about the regulation of video game content (History.com Editors 2017). The following will discuss and go more in depth on video games, what they include, what they are, their relationship with the media and how they have evolved over time.

What is video gaming and its associated Environments?

Video Gaming Overview.

In today’s technological world, video games can and do encapsulate a large category of systems and games. We have anywhere from a smartphone or Nintendo switch to an Xbox or a PS4 to a Personal Computer. Gone are the days where video games belong to a stationary device from the comfort of your home. So, the environments that are considered video game centric are vast and now very far reaching. For the definition of an actual video game, it doesn’t get any less broad, “video games could also be defined as consisting of three essential parts: setting, sensory stimuli and rules” (Zackariasson & Wilson 2012). This would include apps like Candy Crush all the way to something like Call of Duty. This is part of the reason why video game usage is so common in today’s environment; you can almost always find a way to be involved and gaming no matter where you are or how simple your device may seem. This progression in technology has only added to the strife involved in the media’s portrayal of video games because we now can have them anywhere, we go.

Definition of gaming for the purpose of this research.

That large and broad definition of video gaming most certainly bleeds over to and extends into the definition of gaming as well. So many genres, types and platforms exist that it is hard to narrow down what exactly gaming is. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a gamer is “a person who plays games, especially a person who regularly plays computer or video games” and I would add that it is someone who consistently engages in this act (2019). Gaming is the act of engaging in the use of the video game environment and playing a nonspecific video game or game genre on a regular and steady basis. For all intents and purposes in this research we will abide to this definition when referring to some being a gamer or part of the video gaming environments.

Definition of addiction and outlet.

The definition of addiction and outlet, though they may be straight forward in text, the interpretations of them are vast within our current social environment. The level of threshold for something to be considered an addiction changes from one person to the next and even the connotation of that word can as well. There are plenty of people who would consider an addiction the gym healthy, but one to video gaming to be unhealthy. Even if we look to the dictionary definition of addiction it doesn’t quite help to clear this up. Merriam-Webster defines addiction as “a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence” but goes on to include that it could also be “a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly” (2019). The first sounding far more severe and negative than the second, both are considered an addiction. In regard to how we will define addiction intended purpose of defining video game addiction from here forward, we will be referring to the first definition and its side effects.

Outlet on the other hand is far easier to define and up for much less debate in the public opinion. If you asked someone what an outlet was, you will almost always get an agreeing opinion that it is something people do to let off steam or relax. The technical definition includes “a place or opening through which something is let out, a means of release or satisfaction for an emotion or impulse [or] a medium of expression or publication” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2019). Any of these definitions will suffice when referring to a video game as an outlet. It can and does serve as such for many people and these definitions accurately represent the act of using a video game as channel of relief.

History of the influence of video games in the media.

Violence in Video Games.

Violence in video games has long been a controversial topic. This one in particular you have heard in the news many times as of late, but it is not new. It seems that anytime there is a newsworthy violent event, all the sudden violence in video games and how they affect those who play those games becomes a headline once again. As the American Psychology Association states, “news commentators often turn to violent video game use as a potential causal contributor to acts of mass homicide. The media point to perpetrators’ gaming habits as either a reason that they have chosen to commit their crimes, or as a method of training. This practice extends at least as far back as the Columbine massacre (1999),” so you can see the influence from video games is not a new discovery (2015). I would like to point out the use of the word casual in the previous statement, as if it is not the sole contributor, because I don’t believe it is. Here is where I think the news drops the ball. They see a link from mass acts of violence to video game use but forget to dive deeper into they why. Though these same people who committed those acts of violence did dive into a video game world as well, the why is far more important. We need to know if these individuals had supervision, monitoring or any restrictions in regard to playing. In order to list video game violence as the sole contributor, it would also have to be the sole reason. In most cases video game usage is linked to an outside factor in life, i.e. social anxiety, stress relief, etc. As you will see in my survey results, most of those who engaged in a video game community do it for an escape, if what they were escaping from was addressed, rather than the escape into video game use, we might make more progress is solving the connection to aggression and violence.

Anti-social Tendencies.

Unfortunately, we come to researching a topic like this that is so highly researched and discussed, you find that there are many, many complicating opinions floating about. One of the more discussed supposed side effects from playing too many or too much video games, is becoming antisocial. Many claims that those who resort to video games lose their ability to function and interact on a normal day to day basis. Jenn Wilson at GoodTherapy.com stated “according to a new series of studies conducted by Morgan J. Tear of the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia, these games have virtually no negative effect on prosocial behavior at all” in reference to two of the most commonly played and criticized violent video games (2013). Wilson is referencing a study done by Tear and Nielsen where they conducted multiple experiments using these video games and concluded that the “three experiments failed to find a detrimental effect of violent video games on prosocial behavior, despite using contemporary and classic games” which contradicts the information provided by the APA, but it is valuable because it showcases how nuanced the study of human behavior can be (2013). There are too many moving parts and factors to attempt to blame one singular stimuli, video games, for violent outburst, acts of violence or antisocial behaviors. Tear and Nielsen study is particularly important because they were seeking to prove previous studies that claimed the link between video games and antisocial violent tendencies was there and that this existed because of the use of only modern games. Their research helps show that in certain circumstances no link can be found, where in others it can. In my opinion, this is because you cannot pinpoint one external source for a complete change in one’s behavior and moral, core values. More than that is necessary to alter a human being’s behavior and outlook.

The Stereotypes.

Something that certainly does not help the argument of the influence and side effects video games cause are the stereotypes that go with it. Often times the news wants to describe people who engage in video games as outcasts, those who have no friends or never leave their room. This simply is just not the case and only further perpetuates the negative connotation of video game use in our society. In research done by Kowert, Festl and Quandt, they surveyed the gaming community to provide a deeper pool of data in order to either dispute or support the cynical gaming stereotypes and concluded the following:

“Online players do not seem to be more lazy, overweight, or unathletic than offline or nonplaying participants, as they all reported similar levels of exercise, nor are particularly unpopular, socially inept, isolated, or reclusive, as online players reported equivalent levels of quality friendships and sociability as compared to the other groups, as well as a greater social motivation to play than offline players” (2014).

The stereotype we hear about in the news or see portrayed and most likely made fun of in tv shows and other pop culture references, thought may be true in some instances, it is not true for the whole community. Stereotypes, in any instances, help to influence how we see a whole group of people who are likely not actually highly represented by the stereotype itself. It is similar to the saying “one bad apple ruins the bunch.” Just because we have met or have seen someone who is reclusive because of video games, it first and fore most, does not mean that the video games caused that behavior, but secondly, it doesn’t mean that person represents the whole or even the majority.

Game development over time and its impacts.

Trends of popular gaming genres.

It is no secret that over time and with technological advances, trends and impacts are bound to change over time and video games and their systems are no exception. We obviously did not start with games like Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat, but with something much simpler, like Pong. Overtime both game genres and what we played them on adapted and grew. In the early nineties, Nintendo was king and games like Super Mario Brothers, Mortal Kombat and The Legend of Zelda were ruling the roost (Fekete, 2009). Even though we see Mortal Kombat on the list, the content was much different than what we see today. It was pixel based and not nearly as graphic or blood filled as the most current versions are. By 2005 the Xbox 360 was released, and we had evolved to things like Need for Speed, F.E.A.R and Gears of War (Fekete, 2009). There is a stark difference between what we saw in both graphics and content between 1990 and the early 2000’s. By 2009 was when Call of Duty made its debut in the most popular list and really by no surprise in my opinion (Webb, 2019). The industry had been growing in this direction for some time and now had the technology and graphics to support it. Call of Duty stayed on or near the top of the list for most popular for the next almost ten years, which would make sense since this is the video game you hear referenced most in the news whenever video game violence and shooting becomes the hot topic for the moment. But what is notable to me is that before this, there was a wide variety that sat atop the popular list and the Call of Duty dominated for years at a time. The trend became consistent and that is likely what fueled the conclusions that it must have something to do with the violence in real life.

Statistics of average daily use.

Many people believe that those who indulge in video games spend far too much time invested in them and that it is a waste of their time and energy. What is interesting to me about that opinion is that we don’t say the same thing about those who invest time in things like running, the gym or sports as an adult. Admittedly, yes, the latter offer health and fitness benefits, but they are essentially used as the same thing; an outlet or release of energy or stress, for most people. We can’t dictate what people are interested in, so projecting a negative connotation on to something just because we don’t understand or enjoy it, really is not fair. According to the key findings from The Common Sense census on media use in tweens (ages 8-12) and teens (ages 13-18), “teen boys average 56 minutes a day playing video games” which comes out to about seven hours a week (2015). In comparison to the amount of time spent at school, doing homework or just about any other daily activity, seven hours a week doesn’t add up to much time spent. There are obviously participants who fall on the extreme end of the spectrum, but as an average total of the test group, that is not a lot of time spent gaming. To then try to blame or connect behavior issues to something that, as a majority, doesn’t take up more time then school, seems like a far reach.

Rise or fall of owning a game console

Overtime the use and buying of video game consoles has obvious grown and spiked as they have become more popular. The trends don’t do exactly what you would think they would. As seen in the media you would think sale would be rampant and show a large spike in buying over the last ten years, but the sale charts actually indicate the opposite. In the statistics compiled from VGChartz by the WEPC (Figure 1), it shows that game console sales have actually decreased since 2008 (2019). To me this figure was shocking. With the way video games are portrayed and their usage is discussed, you would have expected to see a strong and large rise in both usage and consoles owned. Granted, those who own or bought a console five years ago, likely still have and play it and don’t always buy the latest and greatest versions, so even though there is no large spike in the sales on consoles, that doesn’t equate to there being a lack of people or less people owning and playing video games. If anything, the graphic from WePC shows that there was a large spike at one time, there isn’t an overall large trend in buying power, but a large amount of people does still own video game consoles.

The “Why” and “How”

In order to understand why and how something affects someone, you must first ask and understand the reasons that fuel those decisions. Personal accountability is the one thing that most research seems to fail to consider or leave out. If someone knowingly engages in a video game in order to avoid life, that is a choice they are making, not a voice the video game industry forced upon them. In this sense, causation does not equal correlation because not all causes, and impacts are being considered. If a child has a bad day and goes home to play a video game he knows he excels in; he isn’t purposely retreating from the world and lacking empathy, he is searching for the gratification he missed during the day and if monitored correctly, it could help in raising his confidence in himself back up to start the next day better.

Basically, if we only look at the fact that teenagers are engaging in more video games and leaning on an alternate reality, we of course are going to see them as the cause of the problem. But, if we look at the why they are gravitated towards the games and the escape instead, we might find the real root of the side effects the games may or may not be causing. It is likely that there is an outside source or reason for teenage males retreating into and depending on video games for interaction, friends and a stress relief or escape. The side effects that the general population thinks we are getting from the use of video games, in reality, are probably coming from the reason our teenage male population is playing those video games in the first place.