Representation of Youth

London Riots 2011 

Stan Cohen (1972)

• Moral Panics - Leads from deviant behaviour
• Deviance Amplification - A cycle of increasing numbers of reports on a category of undesirable behaviour, leading to a moral panic. Police/Politician involvement etc.
• Folk Devils - groups of people who can be seen as a threat to society

Gerbner - Cultivation Theory. People who watch a lot of TV over estimate the amount of crime in the real world (Mean World Syndrome). One text has little effect whilst when the media show the same thing again and again it has a large effect.

David Gauntlett - "Identities are not 'given' but constructed and negotiated."

David Buckingham - "A focus on identity requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life, and their consequences for both individuals and for social groups."

Gramsci - Marxist - Society (and the media) is run by an elite who just want to make sure they keep their position. (hegemony - the political predominance of the running of a state)

If young people feel they are being misrepresented and feel that they don't have a voice then they can feel disengaged in society. Social media can give them that voice. Steve Anderson (creative director of debate show 'Free Speech': "Younger people are becoming a lot more empowered because of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogging"

Quadrophenia 1979

Both the mods and rockers are represented stereotypically of youth; being portrayed as having a strong interest in females, being involved in violence, drink and drugs and there is a strong sense of them belonging to a cultural subgroup.                                                                                                                                 Males are the dominant gender and women are frequently objectified