This document discusses various media theories related to representations of youth in media. It covers several key points: 1) Media representations of young people are often constructed by adults and reflect adult anxieties rather than the reality of youth identity. 2) Some theorists argue that media portrayals of delinquent youth reinforce societal norms by contrasting acceptable vs. deviant behavior, allowing greater state control over young people. 3) Youth subcultures express opposition to societal norms through style, whereas media often limits representations of youth to "fun" or "trouble" stereotypes.

2.  For the exam, you need to have a range of
case studies:
 We will continue to look at examples from
films, television, internet and newspapers.
 E.g. Rebel without a cause, Zoella, Skins as
well as many more.

3. Some theorists and their key
ideas

4.  Youth becomes an ‘empty category’.
 This is because media representations of
young people are constructed by adults.
Because of this they reflect adults concerns,
anxieties, and needs.
 As a result of this media representations of
young people do not necessarily reflect the
reality of youth identity.
 Can you think of any examples that reinforce
this from the case studies.

5.  Acland argues that media representations of
delinquent youths actually reinforce hegemony.
 Constructing an idea of ‘normal’ adult and youth
behaviour, and contrasting it with deviant youth
behaviour which is shown to be unacceptable.
 Media representations of young people out of control
allows the state to have more control of them.
The ‘ideology of protection’ – the idea that young
people need constant surveillance and monitoring.
This happens because youth is the time when young
people learn about social roles and values, and allows
the state to make sure they conform to hegemonic
values.

6.  Youth subcultures are a way for young people
to express their opposition to society, and to
challenge hegemony. This is primarily
expressed through style.
 Representations of young people are quite
limited showing them as either fun or trouble.
Again this suggests media representations of
young people do not really relate to reality.

7.  Gramsi developed the concept of cultural
hegemony. This is the idea that one social
class (usually the middle class) is able to
dominate a society by making their way of life
and values appear normal, natural, and
common sense.
 A constant struggle!

8.  Moral panic!
 The representation of working class
youths suggest they have become a
contemporary ‘folk devil’, perhaps
tapping into economic anxieties,
concern about a benefits culture, and
long term unemployment.
 The effect of a moral panic is to
reassert hegemony!

9.  ‘cultivation theory’
 Found that people who watched a lot of
television tended to overestimate the levels of
crime. He called this ‘mean world syndrome’.
Because news reports, TV dramas, films,
contain lots of representations of crime over
time this influenced people’s perceptions of
the world.

10.  Argues that contemporary ‘hoodie cinema’
reflects middle class anxiety about the threat
to their dominance posed by the working
class.

11.  Consider the texts that we have already seen,
even those from last year.
 Can you link any specific examples to the
theories?