Title: Media Portrayals | Children and Screens
Headings: 
Research Summary [ 1]
FAQs [ 1]
How do media, especially those targeting children, portray various social groups?
What do we know about any negative consequences that media stories about social groups might have on children’s development?
Can media stories of social groups also lead to positive impacts on children?
Key Takeaways [ 1]
Guidelines for Parents [ 1]
Sources
Additional Information

Content: In our review, however, we argue that it is important to remember that positive effects can attend more diverse, inclusive, and fluid depictions of social groups in the media. Stories that demonstrate cross-group positive interaction have been shown to lead to diminished prejudice among children, for instance. We conclude our review with recommendations for clinicians, policy makers, and educators that include taking media effects on stereotypes and identity formation seriously, encouraging media literacy efforts, and opening up dialogue with young people about media. FAQs [ 1]
How do media, especially those targeting children, portray various social groups? Media portrayals across a range of genres, including news and entertainment, tend to focus on stories about dominant group members. If at all present, marginalized groups (such as racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women, LGTBQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities) are largely limited to stereotypical misrepresentations and peripheral roles. Such stories often focus narrowly on a single dimension of identity (for instance, a person’s disabilities) without recognizing that multiple aspects of identities co-exist simultaneously in complex ways. What do we know about any negative consequences that media stories about social groups might have on children’s development? We know that the content and frequency of media stories that they consume impact children’s development. These stories shape young people’s shared norms, expectations, and attitudes about themselves and other groups around them.