Television, since it is the most dominant medium of entertainment consumed among children, is perhaps the most influential way children internalize many gender role stereotypes. Studies on consuming television and the socialization of children reveal that television has a significant influence in the lives of children. When a child’s view on how the world works is derived from their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors around them, there is no doubt that young children spending an average of 30 hours a week watching television will get influenced.
Learning new ideas and information happens at such a fast pace while a child is undergoing growth and development. When they improve their cognitive skills, they assimilate new knowledge and fit it into the ideas that they already know. Television impacts both the prosocial and anti-social habits of children and their perceptions about the race and gender as well. Media promotes the idea that masculine behaviors and characteristics are more valued than feminine traits and behaviors, and boys who consume these media messages are highly more likely to show these masculine behaviors and beliefs. Since their ideas on how the world works is purely out of their perceptions and the behaviours seen around them, this understanding may have been established by the young child who assumes that only women are nurses and only men are physicians because the first doctor he or she saw was a man who was accompanied by a female nurse. This "man-doctor, woman-nurse" concept was perhaps further enhanced by parents, books, conversations with friends, and television. If the child encounters certain gender stereotypes and gender roles, this understanding will be incorporated in any potential interpretations in the future. Bearing in mind that young people with developing brains watch television for several hours, and considering how television promotes gender stereotypes, it is not shocking that children acquire stereotypical views.
Children who see women in television content who are passive, indecisive and are shown inferior to men and who see this intensified by their environment are likely to conclude that this is the best way for women to behave. If female children rarely see these characteristics created, they are more likely to create autonomy, initiative and industriousness. Likewise, since male characters are more likely to be demonstrated in leadership positions and show powerful, decisive actions in television program's, children learn that this is the correct way for men to act.
Most commonly, In male-female relationships, men are generally shown to be dominant. Men are often depicted on TV as logical, ambitious, intelligent, competitive, powerful, stable, violent and tolerant, while women are shown as sensitive, romantic, sexually appealing, happy, warm, sociable, submissive, and timid. The majority of women on Prime TV are young, sexy, slender, and have an ornamental quality. Helpless and incompetent behaviours are supposed to be performed by women because they are always placed in circumstances where appearances count for more than brains. Men are twice as likely to be competent and prepared to handle issues as to women. Tv programming focuses on strength, success and the abilities of male characters whereas for wemen, it focuses on beauty and desirability of women. Gender stereotypes are often popular in daytime soap operas; women are often shown to be hopeless individuals, unable to solve problems without the help of a man. Children also watch these programmes after school, reinforcing the notions of women as inferior, passive, and indecisive. Gender stereotypes persist on TV, as women are more often than men portrayed as sexual objects, and men are ineffective in the handling of needs of children, and do not attach value to family or marriage on television. Although early television advertisements were criticised for being disproportionately biased in favour of males, a review of advertisements broadcasted between 1971 and 1985 found a stronger balance between male and female characters (Bretl & Cantor, 1988). Even so, women are most frequently seen in the role of a wife or mother.
On music television, a common programme of choice among young viewers, women are often seen in degrading roles. Music videos also depict women as sex objects, and as if they were trying to get the attention of a man who ignores them. Rap music videos, for example, often show women as objects of desire. Women are four times more likely than men to wear provocative clothing in these videos, while men are almost always fully dressed. Media promotes the conception that girls need to be concerned about their appearance and should treat their bodies as sexual objects for others’ consumption. In adolescence, media use is correlated with more tolerant views of sexual harassment and more support for the belief that women are at least partially responsible for their own sexual assaults. Children without television have been shown to be less stereotypical in their attitudes towards gender roles. In addition , children who view programmes with non-traditional gender roles appear to have non-traditional gender role expectations (Rosenwasser, Lingenfelter, & Harrington, 1989). Since children model the actions they see on television, they are likely to reinforce the gender roles they see.
In addition, Heavier viewing of gender-traditional television content is associated with children’s gender-typed career aspirations. Television does not represent the reality of the workforce. The majority of women on television are seen employed in a profession. However, most women in real life are in low-paid , low-level occupations.
Research shows that television has a socializing influence on children regarding their attitudes toward gender roles. Accepting these rigid assumptions about the roles and characteristics of women and men has substantial effects for the growth of childhood , adolescence and adulthood. When children reach puberty, the media offers guidance about how they are supposed to act in romantic and sexual contexts, and these guidance are heavily gendered. Gender stereotyping seen on television, in turn, is reinforced by parents , peers and school, which adds to the child's sense of what it means to be male or female in society. Television sends strong and compelling messages about socially acceptable gender roles, which are frequently stereotypical, biassed and irrelevant. As children continue to develop and grow, they are increasingly subjected to such gender inequalities and stereotypes. Traditional gender roles, in which men are encouraged to be decisive and display leadership, while women are encouraged to be deferential and dependent, do not help anyone, particularly women. Traditional gender roles discourage the full spectrum of expression and achievement. There are many ways to counteract gender stereotypes and encourage positive gender representation, including presenting counter-stereotyping, talking to children about media content, and providing media literacy education. Children should be able to build a sense of self in a gender-fair atmosphere that promotes all to feel valued and a part of society.
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