How the media affects youth | Oda Faremo Lindholm | TEDxOslo

Summary

The speaker, raised in a tech-savvy family, discusses the profound impact of media on youth, particularly girls, in Norway. With excessive media consumption, young people face unrealistic ideals, leading to self-esteem issues and depression. The media's portrayal of women is criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and contributing to societal pressures for perfection. The talk calls for critical media literacy in schools to address these challenges and promote a healthier self-perception among teens.

Takeaways

• 📱 The speaker grew up in a tech-savvy family, which led to an early exposure to modern technology and sparked an interest in media's impact on society.
• 🌐 Media, pop culture, and the internet are deeply intertwined, influencing each other significantly in today's world.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Children and teens are exposed to a vast amount of media daily, which is a result of living in a rich and liberal country with early access to smartphones and laptops.
• 📊 A large survey indicates that Norwegian teens spend over three and a half hours a day on the internet, not including other forms of media consumption.
• 🚫 The constant media consumption is believed to have a negative impact on self-perception and the understanding of reality.
• 🤔 The concept of 'reality' is complex and is shaped and controlled by various factors, including media representations.
• 🚹🚺 Media often portrays ideals such as body image and gender roles as constant, despite them changing over time.
• 👚 Western media is particularly limiting, especially for girls, reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to a society with more prejudiced gender roles.
• 📉 Media under-represents women and perpetuates sexual stereotypes, which affects girls' self-worth and can lead to depression and anxiety.
• 📈 There's a stark difference in self-worth between boys and girls from the age of 13, with boys' increasing and girls' decreasing.
• 🏫 It's crucial to educate youth about the inaccuracies in media depictions and to foster critical thinking skills to navigate media influence.

Q & A

What was the early exposure to technology like for the speaker growing up?

The speaker grew up with a mother who was the Minister of Justice, which introduced the family early to new technologies such as cell phones, cars, computers, and the internet.

How did the speaker's interest in media develop?

The speaker became interested in how media, pop culture, and the internet affected each other and intertwined, especially considering the impact of an extreme media culture on the younger generation.

What is the average time Norwegian teens spend on the internet daily according to the survey mentioned in the script?

According to the survey, Norwegian teens spend a bit over three and a half hours on the internet daily.

What is the effect of media consumption on the way individuals perceive themselves and reality?

The speaker believes that the constant stream of media consumption has a huge and negative effect on how individuals, especially teens, see themselves and their perceptions of reality.

What does the speaker suggest about the portrayal of ideals in the media?

The speaker suggests that the media often portrays changing ideals as timeless facts, which can influence people's perceptions when they consume media for up to 10 hours a day.

How does Western media affect the perception of gender roles according to the script?

Western media is described as limiting, especially for girls, and is moving towards more prejudiced gender roles, which is a step in the wrong direction.

What percentage of main characters in children's TV are female according to the survey by the Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television?

The survey shows that only 32% of the main characters in children's TV are female, despite women making up 49% of humanity.

How are girls and women typically portrayed in children's media according to the same study?

Girls and women in children's media are often motivated by love and romance, appear less independent, are stereotyped by hair color, and are conventionally attractive, thinner, and heavily sexualized.

What is the impact of media on girls' self-worth and confidence during their transition to adulthood?

Media's mixed messages make it difficult for young girls to negotiate the transition to adulthood, often causing their confidence to drop and basing their self-worth more on appearance and weight.

What percentage of girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in Norway reported symptoms of depression in 2013 according to the Annual Survey own docta?

In 2013, 25% of girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in Norway reported symptoms of depression, which is a marked increase.

What is the speaker's suggestion for addressing the impact of media on youth, especially girls?

The speaker suggests establishing a stronger focus on media's impact in society and schools, teaching youth to be critical of what they read and see, and acknowledging the problem as a new and growing issue.