The entertainment and media industry has shown throughout history to be an influential part of society, and it holds to be true now more than ever with the increase of digital media usage in this generation. Although there are positive attributes to media, it is important to note its influence in the development and reinforcement of stereotypes. Recently, there has been a call for a diverse on-screen representation in the entertainment and media industries. However, given that media portrayal has tended to focus on the dominant group members, the representation of marginalized groups tends to be very stereotypical. These misrepresentations and stereotypical portrayals can shape a child’s perspective, expectations, and attitudes about different groups of people, as well as themselves. As discussed in Silverstein’s report, Teaching Children How to Discriminate, it is common to find children channels and shows that have misrepresented and reinforced stereotypes, whether it be about gender or racial/ethnic minority groups. It was therefore no surprise to see Disney’s name in this article.
Disney is possibly one of the world’s most well-known and prominent provider of entertainment. Despite its success, the company has also been criticized for including stereotypical portrayals of people of racial/ethnic minorities, alleged plagiarism, historical inaccuracies, and sexism, as mentioned in this article. I was surprised and upset to read that the memo from the head of Disney to his staff was that they ” have no obligation to make art” as making money was their only objective (p. 101). I found this particularly disturbing because there is no self-awareness or care for the power they hold as a multinational entertainment industry, especially towards its impact on the social development of a child. Stories are a constructive part to our understanding of the world, which is why movies and series have a critical psychological role in the social and emotional development of the viewer.
