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Soap Operas, Effects of
Soap operas have existed almost as long as radio and television have. The term soap opera is, however, not used all over the world; in Latin America, the most popular corresponding program genre is the telenovela, and in Asia, it is drama serials. The narrative of soap operas differs from that of telenovelas and Asian drama serials in several ways; one of the most conspicuous differences is that the soap opera consists of an ongoing, “open” story that may continue for many years whereas novelas and drama serials last for only a limited number of episodes. Although U.S. serials are distributed widely around the world, there is even wider global circulation of serials made in certain other cultures, especially in Latin America and most of all in Brazil. Australia, the United Kingdom, and several Asian countries (e.g., South Korea) are great exporters of soap operas, as well.
Recently, local and internationally exported soap operas, telenovelas, and drama serials, often attracting large audiences, have become more and more common around the world, not least because of the explosive spread of cable and satellite television in the 1980s and 1990s. In several countries, men and young people are an increasingly large part of the audience for these fictional serials, which previously were viewed mainly by women. Many soaps, telenovelas, and drama serials have also become increasingly daring, sometimes showing in a single or a few episodes more about sex, divorce, deceit, revenge, power struggle, shady economic transactions, crime, and so on than a person experiences in her or his whole life.
Research on Youth and Soap Operas
Although there has been extensive research on adult viewers of soap operas, especially women, relatively few studies exist on soap operas and children or adolescents. A survey of research studies around the world shows clear cultural differences not only between soap operas, telenovelas, and drama serials, and the contents of such programs produced in different countries, but also in children's or young people's reception and meaning-making of the programs. The research contributions described in this entry should, therefore, be regarded as case studies, the findings of which cannot be empirically generalized across borders.
The research approach of these studies in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America is often of a qualitative and short-term character, especially within the tradition of reception studies, in which children or adolescents tell from their own perspectives how they read and are influenced by the programs. Some studies, especially in the United States, aim to analyze specific influences of soaps (e.g., on young people's beliefs) from a cultivation, effect, socialization, or similar perspective. How much, and in what directions, the serials influence young people in the long term cannot be inferred from existing research.
Effects of Soap Opera Viewing
Even if everyone makes something different out of the programs, the reception studies give rise to some general conclusions. First, these studies confirm that many young people in many countries watch soap operas/telenovelas/drama serials, often from an early age. Besides getting pleasure, excitement, and sometimes laughter from viewing these fictional serials, children and young people report that the programs give them ideas, advice, and insight into life and people—especially with reference to interpersonal relations and interactions—that can be useful now and when getting older. In addition to learning, the programs have a range of social functions: Young people identify and parasocially interact with certain characters, situations, and values; distance themselves from others; check out how characters' behavior works; or think about how they themselves would behave in corresponding situations. They also talk about the serials with others. Therefore, several researchers conclude, by watching, learning from, and talking about these TV fictions, young people are working with their social identity and exploring ways of coping with issues in their own lives, at present and later on. Some children say that the serials also influence them in other ways.
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- Cartoons, Violence in
- Desensitization Effects
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- Schemas/Scripts, Aggressive
- Sexualized Violence
- Television Violence
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