Kathleen P. sent in a commercial for Allstate Insurance that draws on stereotypes of teenagers:
This ad depicts a teenager girl, to be sure, but teenagers of both sexes and all races and classes tend to be portrayed negatively, albeit in different ways. Jamie Keiles, a teenager herself, is trying to draw attention to this at her blog, Teenagerie. Keiles writes:
Through the eyes of the media, teenagers are shown as narcissistic, lazy, and unintelligent. We are condemned for being tech-obsessed, shallow, and impulsive.
Keiles, however, blames media itself for promulgating this stereotype, giving teens the message that their lives should fall within its boundaries. She’s hoping her project will make a difference.
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Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
