Social Learning Through the Media

Through television series and advertisements catered at young teenagers, the media often instigates the social learning of certain activities, making them seem "normal" when they actually are not.

Social learning takes place when people begin to imitate actions they are constantly exposed to. This was proven through Albert Bandura's experiment with the Bobo Doll. Children who watched violent actions were likely to repeat them, simply because they had seen them. Similarly, in the documentaries Killing Us Softly and Tough Guise, the effects of stereotypical images of men and women constantly reinforced through advertising were proven to have a lasting effect on how people see themselves and, thus, behave. The media plays a key role in social learning because its mass communication ability allows it to strongly influence cultural changes.

Television shows like Gossip Girl, 90210, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager are just a few shows catered toward young audiences that promote adult behavior in young, high school age kids. Shows like these with young followers cause social learning to occur, making it seem okay to be promiscuous, pregnant at sixteen, drink alcohol or do drugs. Many shows like these show young teenagers living the lives of adults, and make it seem "normal." Social learning from media like this
influences young culture in the United States because when teens see other teens doing something, they feel it's something they should also be doing. Below are some advertisements for these shows, highlighting the mature content presented.

Photos from: http://dellasays.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/omfg/ and http://therealchrislee.com/?p=45