Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 31, 2025
06:15
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
12.9K
Positive and Negative Themes Depicted in Television Shows Targeted Toward Adolescents
Joni M Seeberger1, Christy Lucas1, Amalia Brawley1
1Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Clinical Pediatrics
|August 19, 2022
Summary
Adolescent TV shows frequently depict negative themes like dishonesty and selfishness more often than positive ones. Parents and healthcare providers should promote media literacy and co-viewing to guide children
Area of Science:
- Media Studies
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
Background:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns regarding television (TV) content and excessive screen time for children.
- Understanding thematic elements in media targeted at adolescents is crucial for child development and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and quantify the positive and negative themes present in a selection of TV shows aimed at adolescents.
- To provide data that can inform healthcare providers and parents about media content consumed by young people.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of the first season of 26 Netflix TV shows targeting adolescents.
- Quantitative assessment of the mean occurrences per hour for both positive and negative themes.
Main Results:
- Negative themes occurred more frequently (47.20 mean occurrences/h) than positive themes (39.53 mean occurrences/h).
- The most prevalent negative themes included "dishonesty" (5.30/h), "cursing" (4.96/h), and "selfishness" (4.85/h).
- The most common positive themes were "encouragement from a friend/peer" (5.98/h), "demonstrating honesty" (5.38/h), and "staying true to oneself" (3.72/h).
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers should be informed about TV thematic content to promote media education.
- Parents and guardians are encouraged to engage in co-viewing and active mediation to help children process media content.
More Related Videos
07:15Author Spotlight: Understanding Adolescent Social Adversity Effects on Neurodevelopment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
1.7K
06:39Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements
Published on: August 28, 2017
14.4K
Related Concept Videos
02:04Bullying
8.5K
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.5K
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
119
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
119
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.3K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.3K
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
81
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
81
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
121
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
121
02:10Social Scripts
9.8K
People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter),...
9.8K