Representation of Youth:Stereotypes and Audiences

Aliens in the Living Room:How TV Shapes Our Understanding of “Teens”by Aubrun and Grady

• TV reduces teenhood to a set of fixed types

• Fixed types = Narrative shortcuts (quick to understand for the audience)

• Teenhood is represented as:– an isolated phase of life distinct from and in

conflict with childhood and adulthood– hedonistic

Aliens in the Living Room:How TV Shapes Our Understanding of “Teens”by Aubrun and Grady

• TV contributes to misunderstanding of teenagers• TV contributes to the alienation of teens

• Representations shape expectations about how teenagers should behave/ be understood

• Representations of teens thus influence our view of teenagers and our behaviour towards them, AND teenagers’ behaviour and view of themselves

Why might target audience affect representation?

Why might institution affect representation?