Parental portrayals in the media

The portrayal of the family structure in the media is important because the media reinforces different gender stereotypes in society today. The media tends to highlight the "traditional American family" as opposed to nonconventional configurations. Social Scientists have found that home, family and romance are three of the most important components of the way characters are presented. Moreover, these qualities are often presented in a stereotypical and traditional fashion. In the past few years, the traditional American family has shifted from its original patriarchal structure to a more gender-equivalent dynamic. For example, two-married-parent families were the most common type of family unit a generation ago; however, in the year 2000 that particular family structure could only be found in one out of four households. The depictions of these changes in the media can reinforce or debunk society's views on raising a family. Media channels such as children's books, television, movies and advertisements are direct touch points for both youth and parents to process shifting gender roles within the family. More specifically, as roles such as "dumb" fathers, single mothers, step mothers and stay-at-home dads continue to be portrayed in the media, these roles will mirror and shift in reality as well.

Parents are at the core of every "family". Over time the meaning of the word parent has changed to reflect the transformation of gender roles in society. The traditional embodiment of "parents" used to be that of a husband and wife, but now the definition has expanded beyond this single definition. The media has played a large role in the acceptance of these many definitions. By adjusting the parental definition, the definition of family structure has become more flexible as well. Media has presented a multitude of family structures and has promoted the acceptance of alternate family structures in many ways. The integration of alternate family structures has been presented in television, newspapers, movies, commercials, etc. Media can be a very convenient source of information, being both accessible and up to date. Media makes information readily available to those seeking advice and understanding about parenthood or other family structures. In spite of the advantages the media can provide, there are many drawbacks of projecting parenthood in the media. For example, a lot of media coverage on parenthood can be taken out of context, dishonest, and misleading. Few people can benefit from highlighting the failures of new parents, but media coverage thrives on controversy. In summary, parents are at the heart of every family and the way the media chooses to portray parents has a ripple effect.

...
Wikipedia