Since the early years of the 20th century, the medium of film has been used to depict factual and fictional versions of the human life span. However, film has been investigated as a possible cause of distortions of normal and healthy development. Film personnel, especially high-profile actors, find the trajectory of their lives reported on by other mass media in admonitory and scandalized tones. This entry discusses some examples of how films intersect with life-span development.

Documentary and Influence

Films have always drawn on human life span in both factual (documentary) and fictional formats. American films in both formats concentrate heavily on two aspects of the life span: the social (as opposed to the physical) and personality (as opposed to the cognitive). A recurrent theme is socialization ...

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