Latina/os, Media Effects on

The underrepresentation of Latinos and Latinas in the media and their overrepresentation among consumers of media have led to concern that Latina/o youth may be at particular risk for media influence. However, there are only a few empirical studies that examine the [Page 470]impact of media on Latina/o youth. The research studies that have been conducted explore the role of media on Latina/o viewers' self-perceptions, focusing on self-esteem, ethnic identity, and body image. Another set of studies has examined connections between Latino youth's media use and their attitudes and belief systems, including ideas about gender and academic achievement. Finally, there have been studies to determine the influence of media on the health concerns of Latina/o adolescents.

Concern has arisen that the absence of Latina/o media personalities and repeated exposure to stereotypical portrayals of Latina/os may lead viewers to believe that these attributes characterize Latina/os in the real world. It is believed that heavy media use will cause Latina/o viewers to believe that Latina/os are inferior and that being a Latina/o is bad, thereby diminishing self-esteem. However, empirical evidence has not substantiated this hypothesized connection. Subervi-Velez and Necochea found that Latina/o children's general viewing amounts were only mildly related to their self-esteem, and in a positive direction. Therefore, Latina/o children who watched more English-language television had a more elevated self-esteem. Surprisingly, watching Spanish-language television was not related to the children's self-esteem.

Others have raised concerns over the influence of these media images on the ethnic identity of Latina/o youth. Although no published study has directly linked media use with the ethnic identity of Latina/o children and adolescents, studies have examined other relevant issues, such as acculturation. Studies have found a consistent relationship between media use and acculturation. Research with Latina/o adolescents has shown that those who are less acculturated use Spanish-language media to a greater extent. In addition, watching English-language television increases the acculturation level among newer Latina/o immigrants. Another set of studies has examined the links between media use and perceptions of Latina/o media personalities. Findings indicate that, when Latina/os watch more television, they are less likely to rate the televised depictions of Latina/o characters as fair. This result is consistent with the finding of Children Now that Latina/o children perceived that minority characters were underrepresented and more likely to be cast in negative roles than European American characters. This set of studies establishes a connection between Latina/o youth's media use and their feelings about their ethnic group and identity.

Other analyses of how media use shapes the self-conceptions of Latina/o youth have focused on issues of body image and body satisfaction. Focus group studies have explored Latina college students' perceptions of magazines'images and found that participants preferred a body ideal that corresponded with the ultra-thin media ideal and pursued this ideal through diet, exercise, and some unhealthy practices. Although the late adolescents emphasized their own cultural ideals and were aware that physical differences due to their ethnicity excluded them from attaining the mainstream media ideal, some were still unable to resist the negative impact on their self-image. A number of participants identified magazines as the most influential sources for body image ideals. Although these focus group results are informative, these connections have yet to be supported by survey data. Jane, Hunter, and Lozzi's survey of 87 Cuban American women aged 18 to 25 years found that neither amount of television nor amount of magazine exposure was a significant predictor of beliefs and attitudes associated with eating disorders. Thus, from these findings a mixed picture emerges, one in which Latinas speak of mainstream media ideals influencing their body image attitudes and behavior, even though their media exposure levels have not been found to be associated with these outcomes in any published work.

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