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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Processes used by agencies - media representations and peer pressure
Our identity – who we think we are and how we see ourselves – doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It's shaped by many different influences around us. Two of the most powerful forces that help form our identity are the media and our peers.
Key Definitions:
The media acts as a powerful socialisation agent, showing us images and stories that shape how we see ourselves and others. Every day, we're exposed to thousands of media messages that subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) tell us what's normal, desirable, or acceptable.
Media provides us with 'scripts' for how to behave, what to value and what success looks like. It offers models of identity that we might adopt or reject. From TV shows to social media influencers, these representations give us ideas about what it means to be a certain gender, age, ethnicity, or social class.
Being able to critically analyse media messages is an important skill. This means questioning who created the content, why and what values or assumptions are embedded in it. Media literacy helps us become active consumers rather than passive recipients of identity messages.
Media influences our identity formation in several key ways:
Media often presents idealised and unrealistic body standards. Studies show exposure to these images can lead to body dissatisfaction, especially among young people.
Traditional portrayals of masculinity and femininity in media can reinforce stereotypical gender identities, though this is slowly changing with more diverse representations.
Media can either strengthen or challenge our sense of cultural belonging through how different cultures are represented or misrepresented.
Research by the Royal Society for Public Health found Instagram to be the social media platform with the most negative impact on young people's body image and identity. Users often present carefully curated versions of themselves, creating a gap between 'real' and 'digital' identities. This can lead to what sociologists call 'identity performance' – where people consciously manage how they appear to others online.
The study found that 70% of young people reported feeling worse about their own lives after viewing others' social media profiles. This demonstrates how powerful media can be in shaping our sense of self and what we consider 'normal' or 'ideal'.
Stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about particular groups. Media often relies on stereotypes as shortcuts, but these can have real consequences for how we see ourselves and others.
While media provides broad cultural messages about identity, our peers offer more direct and immediate influence. The people we spend time with, especially during adolescence, can powerfully shape our sense of self.
Direct peer pressure involves explicit encouragement to behave in certain ways. Indirect peer pressure is more subtle – we observe what others do and may feel compelled to fit in without anyone actually telling us to do so. Both can significantly influence how we express our identity.
Peer groups provide us with social feedback about our identity choices. They can validate certain aspects of who we are while discouraging others. This process helps us understand which parts of our identity will be socially accepted or rejected.
Peer pressure operates through several social mechanisms:
In the 1950s, psychologist Solomon Asch conducted experiments showing how peer pressure can make people conform to obviously incorrect judgments. Participants were asked to match line lengths, but when confederates (people working with the researcher) deliberately gave wrong answers, many participants went along with the incorrect group opinion.
This classic study demonstrates how powerful peer influence can be – even causing us to doubt our own perceptions. For teenagers developing their identity, this pressure to conform can be particularly strong, potentially leading them to adopt behaviours or values that align with their peer group rather than their own judgment.
Media and peer pressure don't operate in isolation – they often reinforce each other. The media might promote certain trends or ideals, which peer groups then adopt and enforce. Similarly, peer-driven trends can be amplified by media coverage.
For example, social media platforms combine both influences: they deliver media content while simultaneously showing us what our peers are doing, liking and sharing. This creates a powerful feedback loop for identity formation.
Understanding how media and peers influence our identity is the first step toward making more conscious choices about who we want to be. Here are some strategies for developing critical awareness:
When discussing media and peer influence in your exam, remember to:
Our identity is shaped through complex interactions with the world around us. Media representations provide us with models and scripts for who we might become, while peer groups offer immediate feedback and pressure to conform to certain identity standards. By understanding these processes, we can become more conscious participants in our own identity development, critically evaluating the messages we receive and making more informed choices about who we want to be.
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