Gender Bias, Still A Problem
Even in 2008, with a former Presidential candidate and Vice Presidential candidate who are women, and all of the equal rights women have fought for for decades, the media our children watch is still fraught with gender bias. Recently, a media analysis of 24 countries worldwide was conducted and found that there are twice as many male characters than female characters.
In cartoons and other programs targeted towards kids, the proportion of females is even lower. Furthermore, 72% of all main characters are Caucasian and not representative of the ethnic diversity in the prospective country.
WordGirl on PBS Kids! features a young female heroine who saves the day by spelling. A good role model for girls, she’s tough and fearless, and protects the world from villains by being smart.
Other findings include:
– male characters are twice as frequently overweight as girl characters, showing “skinny” girls and overweight boys
– females are portayed in groups and males are portrayed more frequently as loners and antagonists
– the dominant hair color for females is blonde and red-haired
– babies and elderly are virtually absent as protagonists
– adolescent girls are more common than adolescent boys
All these gender bias’ set our children up for unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. It is because of this and many other bias in our culture, and worldwide, that it is especially important to become critical viewers of media. Help your children ask questions and not just accept what they see on TV, in the movies, on DVDs and in videogames. People treating each other with respect, and respecting the individuality and intelligence of our children is our main responsibility. Hopefully, media will follow by example!
To read the article in it’s entirety, visit Girls and Boys and Television.
