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Girls Targeted in Media

Introduction

Media plays a pivotal role in everyone's lives largely because its omnipresence is not easy to deny. It is present wherever we go, and whatever we see or hear, whether it is watching the news or other programs on television, or reading a newspaper or a magazine. Media widely exists in the promotional hoardings or big billboards on the side of the roads. Even listening to radio is also a part of media itself. So much so, the labels on the various products and food items purchased are part of the media too.

Such impact on everyone's life has greatly influenced the youth, especially children and teenagers. For them, the excessive use of various mediums of media such as television, movies, music, video games, magazines and more, have greatly shaped there outlook and behaviors. This influence is so extensive that it begins when an individual is just an infant (www.mediasmarts.ca, 2012). In other words, media describes the varying means of communication. In fact, media itself is simply referred as a form of communication itself (www.techterms.com/).

In addition, the images and individuals portrayed in media have, other than outlook and behavior, also have influenced the physical image and language patterns of these young individuals, as well. This has been through the manner in which both men and women are used or highlighted through the media. This paper aims to discuss how women, especially girls are portrayed in the media and the likely impact, such depictions have had on influencing the young mindset of young girls.

Discussion

Gender and Media

The debates of gender portrayal on media are largely argued on social, cultural and even ethical front. However, the profound influence of media on the lives of young children cannot be denied, and this is the cause of zealous concern for many parents today. This is so that young boys and girls are unable to distinguish themselves between the concept of reality and fantasy. The latter being the underlying concept behind media's entertainment programming.

Furthermore, with today's busy lifestyle it has increasingly have become to monitor children internet and television activities. Most parents are too concerned with their careers and attaining a healthy lifestyle that they often ignore their children and in order to suffice for any guilt, give them liberty and resources to independently view TV, movies and surf the net. Hence, they are unable to distinguish on their own the various stereotypical roles and messages being released through this medium of communication.

In addition, children gain worldly knowledge through indirect means, which commonly is transmitted through media. Along with, the messages, which are transmitted through media, are an assembly or assimilation of a particular person or a group's ideas and thoughts, thus the message that finally reaches these young individuals is, in fact, of somebody else's values and ideas which is commercially driven (www.etfo.ca/).

Conversely, reliable sources of researches have highlighted the fact that in all forms of media, women and girls are shown in lesser volume then the men. ...