Isabella Henderson

Abstract:

Throughout history, it has been a privilege to be unable to vividly pinpoint the exact moment that someone first saw themselves represented on a screen or in a book. Since American media has been created, it has been largely made for and by straight white men. This has undoubtedly greatly impacted the way in which minorities are able to see themselves and their communities. The lack of opportunity to see oneself in the media has a detrimental impact on the mental health and self-love for young women, queer people, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). Children believe that they can be what they can see; so, when we deprive young people of an ability to see themselves positively represented on screen, we become the problem. How then, can those making media ensure that they are not underrepresenting or misrepresenting communities? In this paper, I touch on both the impact and possible solutions of poor representation. The goal being to find a way to ensure that all young children feel their community represented positively in the media they consume.