Factors Influencing Youth Culture: The Media

The Role of Media in Youth Culture

The media plays a large part in shaping and altering youth cultures.
One key aspect is the representation of youth in the media, as this not only reflects existing cultural norms and ideas but can also shape young people’s perceptions of themselves.
Stereotyping is a common critique of the media, with its depictions of young people often oversimplified or distorted.
Media-constructed archetypes of youth can lead to real-world consequences such as discrimination or marginalisation.

Contemporary youth can construct their identity and subculture to a great extent through the media.
Different forms of media such as music, film, and fashion magazines provide resources for identity work, supplying styles, attitudes and worldviews that young people can adopt or adapt.
The rise of social media and digital communication technologies extend opportunities for youth to form and express their identities in new ways, and provide a platform for the development and sharing of niche interests.

The globalised nature of the media has made global youth cultures possible, undermining localised cultures and traditions.
Media outlets distribute cultural products and ideas across borders, resulting in the diffusion of youth cultures around the world.
Many argue that this creates a homogenisation of youth culture, while others note the ways in which global cultural offerings are reinterpreted and localised in different cultural contexts.

Many theorists recognise that young people are not merely passive consumers of media, but also active and critical interpreters.
Youth often display a high level of media literacy, understanding the codes, conventions and underlying messages in media texts.
This can lead to resistance and opposition to mainstream media and dominant cultural messages, and the creation of alternative media forms and cultural expressions.

The media has a significant impact on young people’s lifestyles and consumption patterns.
Media outlets not only promote products and brands, but also values, ideas and lifestyle preferences that shape young people’s consumption habits and desires.
The concept of consumer culture highlights how consumption behaviours are integral to identity formation and social participation for young people in contemporary societies.