Title
It Matters What Young People Watch: Health Risk Behaviors Portrayed in Top-Grossing Movies Since 1950
Date Issued
01 April 2010
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
book part
Author(s)
Jamieson P.E.
More E.
Lee S.S.
Romer D.
University of Pennsylvania
Publisher(s)
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Films have long been a major influence on youth, and their content changed dramatically with the demise of the production code in the 1960s. To understand changes in film content, the Coding of Health and Media Project (CHAMP) analyzed the top-30 grossing movies from 1950 to 2004. This chapter presents trends in gender and youth representation, as well as in portrayal of tobacco and alcohol use, and sex and violence. Bandura's social cognitive theory of mass communication is used to explain how such content may influence audiences. Over the study period, youth and male characters were increasingly represented. Consistent with a cultural shift in attitudes toward tobacco and alcohol, portrayal in both decreased. However, violence (especially as committed by youth) and sex increased. Although the MPAA rating system (G, PG, PG13, R) was intended to inform movie audiences of problematic content, the system restricted sexual content far better than violent content.
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Medios de comunicación, Comunicación socio-cultural Abuso de sustancias Estudios en cine, Estudios en radio, Estudios en televisión
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84921259821
Resource of which it is part
The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950
ISBN of the container
978-019989428-4
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus