Parent Talk / April 2007
See Jane Change Channels
Although research shows that live-action children’s television programs have gone far in reducing gender and racial imbalance, they remain stubbornly entrenched in the rest of children’s entertainment, including G-rated films and animated TV shows. Data from the most recent See Jane research revealed that three quarters of all single, speaking characters on children’s television were white, and male characters are less likely than female characters to be portrayed as parents or in a long-term relationship.
Gender and ethnic portrayals continue to influence what the youngest, most impressionable children expect from themselves and others. The research was commissioned by See Jane, a program founded by actress Geena Davis at the national nonprofit Dads & Daughters®.
See Jane engages professionals and parents to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters and to reduce gender stereotyping in media made for children 11 and under.
Studies of children’s television exposure indicate that heavy viewing predicts traditional sex-role attitudes, like girls believing that females are less competent than males, or boys believing that household chores should fall along stereotypical lines. In terms of occupations, children who are heavy television viewers may believe that they have a smaller range of occupation choices based on their gender.
A 2006 Kaiser Family Foundation national survey on media use by preschoolers found that 43 percent of children under age 2 watch TV every day , despite an American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that children under age two have no screen time.
In a typical day, 83 percent of kids under age 6 use screen media, averaging about two hours a day. Daily screen media use increases with age, from 61 percent of babies one year or younger to 90 percent of 4- to 6-year-olds.
A 2005 survey found that school aged children (8 to 18) spend a daily average of 3:04 watching television, compared to 2:17 spending time with their parents.
Without a doubt, television is a major presence in the daily life of children.
It is important for parents to know that children aren’t affected exclusively by how characters of their own gender are portrayed on the small screen. Along with expectations for themselves, children’s expectations for members of the other gender, now and into the future, can be influenced by repeated viewing of characters and stories that reinforce particular notions about male and female roles.
But, when parents actively monitor, co-view, and discuss media content with their children, the effects are profound.
Researchers exposed elementary school children to a series of clips depicting females engaging in stereotypical actions (e.g. giving facials) and expressing traditional attitudes (e.g. complaining about bugs, dirt, and broken nails while camping). While watching, children received either a counter-stereotypical mediation strategy (“That show is wrong. Lots of girls like camping”), neutral information, or no information from adults.
Among kindergarten to second grade students, the mediation significantly increased children’s acceptance of females engaging in traditionally masculine activities. Clearly, parents who offer very simple statements countering gender stereotypes in a program can alter children’s sex-role perceptions.
Parents can counter television’s traditional skew, by ensuring that their children view programs that feature balanced and diverse female and male characters. And, they can make a major difference in its effect by watching TV programs with their children and discussing similarities and differences between males and females. In doing so, parents may be opening doors and opening channels of opportunity for boys and girls.
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