Television Media as a Potential Negative Factor in the Racial Identity Development of African American Youth

Abstract

Received and accepted February 8, 2008. Dr. Martin is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at West Central Mental Health Center in Canon City, Colo. Address correspondence to Ardis C.Martin,M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Private Practice, 3765 Cherry Plum Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80920; acmartin99@netzero.net (e-mail). Copyright 2008 Academic Psychiatry Racism and discrimination continue to be a pervasive problem within our society. The images seen in media, in general, and on TV, in particular, perpetuate these negative stereotypes about African Americans and impact majority society’s views of Blacks. These images also may influence minority cultures’ view of themselves and have the potential to affect the developing minds of African Americans. Negative stereotypes may be highly detrimental to African American children and adolescents as they attempt to traverse their way through the normal course of identity development. The process of adolescent identity exploration is fraught with elements of distress and continuous discovery. Adolescents have the task of trying on new roles, coming to terms with their sexuality, separation and individuation from their family, establishment of autonomy, and understanding their place in society and the world. African American youth are met with the additional challenge of discovering what it means to be black. They must also discover their racial identity. This endeavor can prove to be difficult because they find that the world around them has already defined them by the color of their skin. They are bombarded with negative images of the self—reinforced by the media, either overtly or subtly, which may ultimately have an impact on their development and their overall sense of who they are or who they can become. African American youth struggle to define what it means to be black in spite of the stereotypes which are seen around them. In this article, I explore how stereotypical images seen on TV and the promotion of racial discrimination may impact racial identity development and two theories of racial identity development and their stages. I also explore how positive images and social supports can counteract these stereotypical images and aid in a more fluid transition through the development process of racial identity to create a sense of resiliency as a protective device against the negative environment that African Americans will continue to face. Finally, I look at the importance of this knowledge within the child psychiatric community in promoting therapeutic support for AfricanAmerican patients.