Croteau: Of course, Media Matters! Media is often the medium used by the dominating class in order to disseminate their world view. If we were to go back to early Marxist theory it becomes clear that the dominating class needs those they are dominating over to share their worldview. By having the dominating class’ perspective the other classes are able to internalize negative beliefs about themselves, as well ‘develop’ the desire to become members (or at least to embody characteristics held by members) of the dominating class. Oppressors need the groups they are marginalizing to embody the oppressors’ beliefs in order for the marginalization to be effective and to be sustainable. The dominating class is a numerical minority. A large part of their ability to hold on to their role as dominators is the manipulation of the other groups.
The fact that the media acts as a medium for the dominant ideology to be disseminated makes the indoctrination process much easier. For example, the media normalizes certain behaviors, behaviors that are not necessarily inherent. This not only works to further marginalize groups that are already existing on the margins but it also works to inspire desire. Because capitalism is our society’s operating system, the media is constantly working to create more and more consumers--
Raby: Sorry to interrupt, but if I may just interject here. With Croteau bringing up the consumer culture of our society I feel like this would be a good time to weave in the way in which media has an effect on teenagers. Because, as the title of this course states, we’re not just dealing with teenagers in media, but also how media affects them (and, by extension, the rest of us. Because what effects people as teenagers can certainly have an effect on their adult-selves. Many believe that teenagers are going through a process of forming their identities, their senses of self. Messages from the media can easily interfere and make it harder to separate what is truly the ‘self’ and what has been learned from the dominant culture).
I argue that if it weren’t for our capitalist society there would be no “adolescence”, at least not in the way that we know adolescence today. It’s no surprise, then, that consumerism is believed to play a big part in the lives of teenagers. One of the dominant discourses surrounding adolescence is known as “pleasurable consumption”. The dominant culture uses media as a way to create a consumerist desire within teenagers. Because teenagers often feel that they must constantly be asserting themselves as individuals (whether or not this is truly a "teenage" drive is up for discussion, it is possible that teens have just been taught for so long that they are supposed to be finding themselves that this feeling has become naturalized).Take a look at most shows aimed at teenagers, or more specifically, take a look at their wardrobe. How often do we see characters wearing an outfit more than once in a show’s run? Not very often. Commercials and advertisements marketed towards teens aim to make them believe that they can show-off their individuality by purchasing something at the mall. In the end, the media’s role in teenage consumerism is to the benefit of the capitalist ruling class, not to the teen themselves.
Wesch: Well, my colleagues have said more than enough, but I do just want to simply reiterate: Media Matters. If media is working to shape our lives shouldn’t we stop disparaging it and work to understand it to the best of our ability? We are currently living in an information-age. We can’t continue to pretend that media does not have a huge effect on our lives. What we need to do is begin to arm ourselves with the tools that will allow us to not fall victim to a highly mediated world. We need to learn how to decipher what information is worth keeping and what is not. Media matters. It works to shape us, all of us, at every stage of life.
The fact that the media acts as a medium for the dominant ideology to be disseminated makes the indoctrination process much easier. For example, the media normalizes certain behaviors, behaviors that are not necessarily inherent. This not only works to further marginalize groups that are already existing on the margins but it also works to inspire desire. Because capitalism is our society’s operating system, the media is constantly working to create more and more consumers--
Raby: Sorry to interrupt, but if I may just interject here. With Croteau bringing up the consumer culture of our society I feel like this would be a good time to weave in the way in which media has an effect on teenagers. Because, as the title of this course states, we’re not just dealing with teenagers in media, but also how media affects them (and, by extension, the rest of us. Because what effects people as teenagers can certainly have an effect on their adult-selves. Many believe that teenagers are going through a process of forming their identities, their senses of self. Messages from the media can easily interfere and make it harder to separate what is truly the ‘self’ and what has been learned from the dominant culture).
I argue that if it weren’t for our capitalist society there would be no “adolescence”, at least not in the way that we know adolescence today. It’s no surprise, then, that consumerism is believed to play a big part in the lives of teenagers. One of the dominant discourses surrounding adolescence is known as “pleasurable consumption”. The dominant culture uses media as a way to create a consumerist desire within teenagers. Because teenagers often feel that they must constantly be asserting themselves as individuals (whether or not this is truly a "teenage" drive is up for discussion, it is possible that teens have just been taught for so long that they are supposed to be finding themselves that this feeling has become naturalized).Take a look at most shows aimed at teenagers, or more specifically, take a look at their wardrobe. How often do we see characters wearing an outfit more than once in a show’s run? Not very often. Commercials and advertisements marketed towards teens aim to make them believe that they can show-off their individuality by purchasing something at the mall. In the end, the media’s role in teenage consumerism is to the benefit of the capitalist ruling class, not to the teen themselves.
Wesch: Well, my colleagues have said more than enough, but I do just want to simply reiterate: Media Matters. If media is working to shape our lives shouldn’t we stop disparaging it and work to understand it to the best of our ability? We are currently living in an information-age. We can’t continue to pretend that media does not have a huge effect on our lives. What we need to do is begin to arm ourselves with the tools that will allow us to not fall victim to a highly mediated world. We need to learn how to decipher what information is worth keeping and what is not. Media matters. It works to shape us, all of us, at every stage of life.