Socialization of children and adolescents through media. Influence on identity and self-image

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Definitions of the terms "socialization" and "identity""
2.1 Socialization
2.2 Identity

3. Media use
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Figures, data and facts on the media use of children and adolescents based on the Shell, KIM and JIM study
3.3 Type of media use by children and adolescents
3.4 Functions of media

4. Influence of media on socialization and identity formation
4.1 Presentation of the selected media
4.1.1 Television
4.1.2 Internet /Smartphone
4.2 Current study results
4.3 Facebook as an example of social networks
4.4 Popularity of "pseudo-documentaries": “Familien im Brennpunkt” and “Berlin - Tag und Nacht” as an example
4.4.1 "Scripted Reality Series"
4.4.2 "Familien im Brennpunkt"
4.4.3 "Berlin - Tag und Nacht"
4.5 Television as a negative influence on self-image and trigger for eating disorders
4.5.1 The image of women in the media
4.5.2 Television as a trigger for eating disorders
4.6 Interim conclusion

5. Random sampling in an open children's and youth facility
5.1 Survey
5.1.1 Questionnaire creation
5.1.2. Evaluation
5.1.3 Gender differences
5.1.4 Comparison of children and adolescents
5.2 Conclusion of the survey
5.3 Interviews
5.4 Conclusion of the interviews in connection with the survey

Conclusion

Bibliography

Survey

1. Introduction

"Socialization is no longer conceivable without media today, it takes place under the sign of an active subject who deals with the media from an early age, uses them purposefully and uses them to shape his everyday life, to examine, expand, revise the value and norm structure of his social environment, his personality and life concepts."¹

This statement exemplifies the (ever-increasing) role of media in socialization. Particularly noteworthy here is the Internet, which offers many possibilities of self-expression in addition to research and communication. In addition to the Internet, television is an important medium for humanity and thus also for this investigation.

Often the use of media by children and adolescents is critically assessed by scientists. Media, for example.B have a negative influence on development and are manipulative.²

However, socialization research hardly deals with the increasing importance of media.³ Dagmar Hoffmann sees the reason for this neglect in the fact that socialization research has the view that there is no reciprocal relationship between people and the media and that media can therefore not be counted as a socialization instance.⁴

The aim of the work is therefore to work out whether there is an influence of the Internet and television as a socialization instance on children and adolescents. The guiding question for this is: "How do the media affect the identity and self-image of six to 18-year-olds?"

The use of media and their significance for adolescents is also examined with the help of a survey in an open children's and youth institution as well as various study results.

2. Definitions of the terms "socialization" and "identity""

2.1 Socialization

At the beginning of the 20th century, the concept of socialization emerged when Emile Durkheim for the first time worked out the social significance for the development of man and socialization as "the socialization of man"⁵ Described. This refers to the influence of social conditions on the development of adolescents.⁶

The concept of socialization should also be distinguished from the concept of education. Education can be described as "socialization" and socialization as "socialization."⁷ Thus, socialization means processes that affect the development of one person and not, as in the concept of education, the deliberate influence of another.⁸

A classic definition is: "Socialization is the process of the emergence and development of the personality in interdependence on the socially mediated social and material environment. Primarily thematically, it is how the human being forms into a socially capable subject."⁹

In addition to the classic socialization instances of parents, school and peer groups, media can now be counted as another important instance, which is also increasingly taking on a special role in socialization, since children are confronted with media from the age of one.

Youth researchers speak of "self-socialization" of children and adolescents when it comes to the use of media, as they largely choose the devices and content themselves and thus also gain their own identity and autonomy.¹⁰

2.2 Identity

"Who am I?". What distinguishes me? How do others see me? Most people ask themselves such questions in the course of their lives. The perception of the ego to reflect and judge oneself are processes that begin in early childhood and last a lifetime.¹¹

Identity is thus a "complex and incomplete structure that we work on continuously and throughout our lives in interaction with the social environment."¹² It models "characteristics, abilities, talents, values and positions in the social environment and in the social world."¹³

Identity is always about the "creation of a fit between the subjective inside and the social outside, i.e. the production of an individual social location."¹⁴

According to the psychoanalyst Erikson, the task of the adolescent is to combine his knowledge of himself and the world into a self-image so that one fits into society and finds his own social role.¹⁵

In addition, the construction of identity is linked to the basic need for recognition and belonging.¹⁶ It can be said that identity has two sides, on the one hand it should contain the individual, but on the other hand also the norms and standards prescribed by society.¹⁷

3. Media use

3.1 Introduction

As early as 1983, Neil Postman presented how media influence the development of social life and how the boundary between children and adults is dwindling.¹⁸ In this way, media, especially television, open up access to adult topics.¹⁹ Hermann Giesecke also points to the end of "the childishness of the child" in 1985²⁰ and describes a loss of family education due to the "dominance of socialization by mass media".²¹

Media are a "central instance of the mediation of the world"²² and serve as a source of orientation for children and young people, who thereby also influence the processes of identity formation. They show a lot of material for dealing with one's own personality and society and give room for action for the design and trial actions of dream worlds as well as identity experiments. Media thus offer life plans that can be evaluated and pursued as ideals or - "if they are not very compatible with one's own life situation - can be discarded."²³

The formation of identity always takes place in social references, whereby "media are integrated in a variety of ways"²⁴. Media offers are of great importance for the formation of identity and the "design of new forms of communication and relationships."²⁵ Media are used as identification offers that can be accepted, rejected or ignored. Children and young people use different media worlds as spaces for symbolic trial action and balancing different partial identities.

3.2 Figures, data and facts on the media use of children and adolescents based on the Shell, KIM and JIM study

The hypothesis that media have an influence on socialization, I assume that they also have an important role in everyday life. The number of children and young people who use the Internet and the frequency of use are constantly increasing.²⁶ To this end, the JIM (Youth, Information Media) studies of the media pedagogical research association Southwest (mpfs) provide a good overview of the frequency of use of media of young people. In 2015, the mobile phone comes first, nine out of ten young people use it daily. In second place is the Internet and half of those surveyed watch TV every day.²⁷ Also when asked about the most important medium, the Internet, followed by the mobile phone, is mentioned above all.²⁸ When asked what young people like to use most on the Internet, 61% mentioned YouTube, followed by Facebook and WhatsApp.²⁹

The Shell study from 2015 also shows that Internet access for young people is now a matter of course: "99% of young people are now online, in 2002 it was only 66%."³⁰ It is therefore no longer a question of social origin whether young people have access to the Internet. However, social origin proves to be important when it comes to the diversity of access channels. Almost half (47%) of young people from the upper class report three or more accesses (smartphone, laptop, desktop computer, tablet, etc.). For young people from the lower class, this applies only to one sixth.³¹ However, the JIM study 2015 shows that there are hardly any significant differences in device ownership according to educational level. Exceptions are televisions, fixed game consoles and DVD players and recorders, but also tablet PCs; these devices are slightly more common among young people with lower levels of education. Young people with formal higher education, on the other hand, are slightly more likely to own digital cameras and MP3 players.³²

The interest of twelve- to 19-year-olds in reading printed books is not declining despite the sharp increase in electronic media supply.³³ However, it shows that books are less important for young people with a lower level of education, with less than a third of respondents with a lower level of education reading books regularly.³⁴ Otherwise, there are only slight differences, e.B. young people with a higher level of education have a greater interest in political issues and in current affairs, while young people with a low level of education are more interested in smartphones, digital games and information about training or professions.³⁵ The JIM study from 2008 also makes it clear that high school students chat more, upload more photos and videos on the Internet, and download more music.³⁶

The mpfs does not only conduct such studies with adolescents, but also with six to 13-year-olds, with the name "KIM study". The 2014 study shows that almost every second of the children surveyed has a mobile phone and a good third have their own TV.³⁷ For most of them, however, a mobile phone is only relevant from about ten years of age, for younger people it is still rather the exception. If younger children have their own mobile phone, this is also the wish of their parents.³⁸

It is also striking that with increasing age, media activities, from television to digital gaming to Internet use, are carried out more independently.³⁹ The 2006 KIM study also shows that young people with "little formal education" are more likely to use the Internet.⁴⁰

3.3 Type of media use by children and adolescents

The range of media today is huge, in addition to newspapers, books and radio, especially the Internet and television have a high priority among children and young people.

There are also special children's computers and mobile phones for children, but they also use media that are aimed more at young people and adults.⁴¹

For decades, however, television has been the number one leading medium for children between the age of six and 13.⁴² Often the children watch TV together with the family, which can serve to create closeness. Television also supports family rituals such as going to bed, it distracts children when they need medical care, for example.B. and supports educational action by offering it as a reward or withdrawing it as a punishment.⁴³

For six- to 13-year-old children, the computer is the medium with which they are second most likely to engage, on the one hand to use computer and educational games and on the other hand to go to the Internet, where at a young age information for school is mainly sought and social networks are also visited with increasing age. Not to be underestimated here is the fact that a third of six- to 13-year-olds are usually alone on the Internet.⁴⁴ Thus, they can easily get to the wrong sites or get in touch with the wrong people. The 2008 KIM study also shows that a third of the children surveyed already have chat experiences.⁴⁵

Nevertheless, in childhood, parents play a particularly important role in media use. They set up rules for use, are fellow players or interlocutors. Parents represent their attitudes to media, they regulate access by purchasing or banning certain devices or content, and they influence their children's media socialization with their behavior.⁴⁶ In childhood, the focus is on sharing with the family, while the media use of young people is often influenced by the peer groups and also serves to distance the parents and to cope with crises.⁴⁷

However, young people choose their media largely independently, as the use is less regulated by their parents in adolescence and they are usually in possession of various media themselves. The Internet is the number one leading medium for young people, with television continuing to play a major role.⁴⁸ In addition, the total media time increases, as several media are often used at the same time. When dealing with the media, the young people live out their interests, preferences and desires for autonomy.

Many empirical studies show that young people are relatively competent with the media and have "original and creative ways of dealing with them that can also stimulate the behavior of adults. Young people use media as a space for experimentation for their own fantasies as well as for their curiosity about the media worlds."⁴⁹ Media also contribute to reflexivity by conveying diverse information, lifestyles, life stories and thus enabling new life experiences and life perspectives.⁵⁰ Reflexivity in relation to media means not only that, but also that the young people are provided with information about themselves. "The young people look for their topics in the media, problems that young people reflect and recognize themselves in them."⁵¹

Although the influence of media is usually negatively associated with children and adolescents, they also have some advantages. They offer the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills. "Media offers that correspond to the level of development and the developmental tasks of adolescents promote the development of cognitive, emotional and motivational abilities."⁵² Identification with media figures offers "mental trial action in the assumption of social roles and in the design and staging of identity".⁵³ The more media available to children and young people, the better they can choose those who can use them at the moment. In doing so, they can combine media with each other and "build their image of a story on all sensory channels and with all the modalities of action."⁵⁴ If you think about the area of school, more and more media are used there and thus the different types of learners, especially the visual learning type, are better addressed. In addition.B a film analysis offers variety and the children are usually more concentrated than in "normal" lessons.

In addition, media productions are often seen as identity offers and thus also serve as a template for dealing with one's own person in the socialization process.⁵⁵ By means of media, "patterns of action and interpretation, forms of presentation and staging, role templates and appearances are transported"⁵⁶, which are used in identity work.

3.4 Functions of media

Media are integrated into the everyday life of users in a variety of ways and often fulfill a variety of functions at the same time. Vollbrecht distinguishes three areas with regard to these functions. They have "situational functions", which he describes as information gathering, entertainment, driving away boredom, mood regulation and escape from everyday life. From a socializing perspective, the "social functions" are important: Among other things, media provide opportunities for discussion in the family as well as in the peer group or form a basis on which group identities are developed.⁵⁷ In addition, he speaks of "biographical, self-related functions" that relate to identity development. This refers to the emergence of role models and standards and their virtual testing, which should also offer solutions for one's own personal topics. According to Vollbrecht, this functional area of media also includes "self-assurance, self-reflexivity, self-representation".⁵⁸ So not only the direct use of media has an influence on the construction of identity, but media also influence when they are not used directly but e.B. when media offers are discussed.

4. Influence of media on socialization and identity formation

This work is mainly about the Internet and television as socialization instances, since as already mentioned, they are the most used or popular media of children and adolescents.

Television has a high impact factor as it shows users how to dress and give in to be popular. It shows role models but also antiheroes.⁵⁹ The Internet, on the other hand, offers on the one hand the possibility to find information on all questions (keyword Google) as well as the consumption of various contents and on the other hand the possibility of one's own presentation, for example via Facebook or online blogs, which Daniel Süss compares with the writing of diaries, which hardly anyone writes nowadays.⁶⁰

In many socialization instances there are right and wrong, exemplary in the Church. The media offerings, on the other hand, lack clarity and structure, they are contradictory and disorderly.⁶¹ There is a lack of "standards that are used as signposts"⁶² help through the huge offer of the media to find the identity. The media spaces on the Internet offer young people opportunities to "validate partial identities communicatively, to design them interactively and to redesign them. In these rooms, they can also live, test, simulate and practice partial identities."⁶³ The Internet therefore offers numerous possibilities for the formation of identity, but they do not provide criteria for measuring the success of identity work, nor for evaluating the possibilities.⁶⁴

Thus, the construction of identity through media can also cause problems or fail. Empirical studies have also found a risk potential of media for socialization.⁶⁵ On the one hand, there is a strong consumer pressure for children and young people; they must have the latest equipment to get recognition: "The new mobile phone culture, however, makes it clear to what extent not only the use, but only the possession of the right medium symbolize group and status affiliation. In groups of young people, the mobile phone thus not only becomes a status symbol, but sometimes even a prerequisite for admission to the group of peers."⁶⁶

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¹ Theunert, Helga/ Schorb, Bernd: Sozialisation mit Medien: Interaktion von Gesellschaft- Medien- Subjekt. In: Hoffmann, Dagmar/ Merkens, Hans (Hrsg.): Jugendsoziologische Sozialisationstheorie. Impulse für die Jugendforschung. Weinheim/ München 2004, p.217.

² Hoffmann, Dagmar: Attraktion und Faszination Medien. Jugendliche Sozialisation im Kontext von Modernisierung und Individualisierung. Münster 2002,, p.11.

³ cf. Schulz, Iren: Mediatisierte Sozialisation im Jugendalter. Kommunikative Praktiken und Beziehungsnetze im Wandel. Berlin/ Erfurt 2012, p.15.

⁴ cf. Hoffmann, Dagmar: Plädoyer für eine integrative Mediensozialisationstheorie. In: Hoffmann, Dagmar/ Mikos, Lothar (Hrsg.): Mediensozialisationstheorien. Modelle und Ansätze in der Diskussion. 2., überarb. und erw. Aufl. Wiesbaden 2010, S.15-17.

⁵ Zimmermann, Peter: Grundwissen Sozialisation. Einführung zur Sozialisation im Kindes- und Jugendalter. 3., überarb. und erw. Aufl. Wiesbaden 2006. Zit. n. Emile Durkheim, p. 9

⁶ Zimmermann 2006, p.9.

⁷ Koller, Hans- Christoph: Grundbegriffe, Theorien und Methoden der Erziehungswissenschaft. 2. Auflage Stuttgart 2006, p.117.

⁸ cf. Koller ibid.

⁹ Hurrelmann, Klaus, Ulich, Dieter: Handbuch Sozialisationsforschung. 6., unveränderte Auflage Weinheim 2002, p.461.

¹⁰cf. Kübler, Hans- Dieter: Medienwirkungen versus Mediensozialisation. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Hrsg.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2010, p.25.

¹¹ Mummendey, Hans- Dieter: Psychologie des Selbst. Theorien, Methoden und Ergebnisse der Selbstkonzeptforschung. Göttingen 2006, p.87.

¹² Theunert, Helga: Jugend- Medien- Identität. Identitätsarbeit Jugendlicher mit und in Medien. München 2009, p.9.

¹³ Theunert ibid.

¹⁴ Keupp, Heiner: Identitätskonstruktionen in der spätmodernen Gesellschaft. In: Theunert, Helga (Hrsg.): Jugend- Medien- Identität. Identitätsarbeit Jugendlicher mit und in Medien. München 2009, p.54.

¹⁵ cf. Erikson, Erik H.: Identität und Lebenszyklus. Drei Aufsätze. 2.Aufl. Frankfurt 1973

¹⁶ Keupp, Heiner: Identitätskonstruktionen in der spätmodernen Gesellschaft. In: Theunert, Helga (Hrsg.): Jugend- Medien- Identität. Identitätsarbeit Jugendlicher mit und in Medien. München 2009, p.54.

¹⁷ cf. Keupp ibid.

¹⁸ cf. Moser, Heinz: Einführung in die Medienpädagogik. Aufwachsen im Medienzeitalter. 4., überarb. und erw. Aufl. Wiesbaden 2006, p. 73ff

¹⁹ cf. Postman, Neil: Das Verschwinden der Kindheit. Frankfurt 1983, p.89.

²⁰ Giesecke, Hermann: Das Ende der Erziehung.1985, p.77.

²¹ Giesecke ibid.

²² Theunert 2009, p.10.

²³ Hoffmann 2002, p.65.

²⁴ Wegener, Claudia: Identität. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Hrsg.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2010, p. 34f.

²⁵ Nieding, Gerhild/ Ohler, Peter: Entwicklungspsychologie. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Hrsg.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2010, p. 34f.

²⁶ cf. Tillmann, Angela: Computer und Internet. Multimediasozialisation. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Hrsg.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2010, p. 34f.

²⁷ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (Hrsg.): JIM 2015. Jugend, Information, (Multi-) Media. Basisstudie zum Medienumgang 12- bis 19-Jähriger in Deutschland. Stuttgart 2015, p.11.

²⁸ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.14.

²⁹ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.17.

³⁰ Shell Deutschland Holding (Ed.): Jugend 2015. URL: http://s01.static-shell.com/content/dam/shell-new/local/country/deu/downloads/pdf/shell-jugendstudie-2015-zusammenfassung-de.pdf , p.18. (accessed on 26.09.2016)

³¹ Shell Deutschland Holding ibid.

³² cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.7.

³³ cf. cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.22.

³⁴ cf. cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.15.

³⁵ cf. cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.17.

³⁶ Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (Hrsg.): JIM 2008. Jugend, Information, (Multi-) Media. Basisstudie zum Medienumgang 12- bis 19-Jähriger in Deutschland. Stuttgart 2008, p.14.

³⁷ cf Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (Hrsg.): KIM 2014. Kinder + Medien + Computer + Internet. Basisuntersuchung zum Medienumgang 6- bis 13-Jähriger in Deutschland. Stuttgart 2014, pp.8-9.

³⁸ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest 2014, p.46.

³⁹ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest loc. cit., p.15.

⁴⁰ cf. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (Hrsg.): KIM 2006. Kinder + Medien + Computer + Internet. Basisuntersuchung zum Medienumgang 6- bis 13-Jähriger in Deutschland. Stuttgart 2007, p.29.

⁴¹ Strotmann, Mareike: Medien in der mittleren und späten Kindheit. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Hrsg.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2010, p. 135

⁴² cf. Strotmann op. cit., p.136.

⁴³ cf. Wegener 2010, p.128.

⁴⁴ cf. Strotmann op. cit., p.139.

⁴⁵ cf. Tillmann 2010, p.261.

⁴⁶ cf. Hirschhäuser, Lena/ Kammerl, Rudolf/ Lampert, Claudia/ Schwinge, Christiane: Computerspiele(n) in der Familie. Computerspielesozialisation von Heranwachsenden unter Berücksichtigung genderspezifischer Aspekte. Düsseldorf 2012, p.12.

⁴⁷ cf. Hirschhäuser, Lena/ Kammerl, Rudolf/ Lampert, Claudia/ Schwinge, Christiane a.a.O., p.21.

⁴⁸ cf. Süss, Daniel/ Hipeli, Eveline: Media in adolescence. In: Vollbrecht, Ralf/ Wegener, Claudia (Eds.): Handbuch Mediensozialisation. Wiesbaden 2002. P. 34f.

⁴⁹ Barthelmes, Jürgen/ Sander, Ekkehard: Erst die Freunde, dann die Medien. Medien als Begleiter in der Pubertät und Adoleszenz. Medienerfahrungen von Jugendlichen Bd.2. Opladen 2001, p .27.

⁵⁰ Barthelmes, Jürgen/ Sander, Ekkehard ibid.

⁵¹ Barthelmes, Jürgen/ Sander, Ekkehard a.a.O., p.28.

⁵² Süss, Daniel: Mediensozialisation zwischen gesellschaftlicher Entwicklung und Identitätskonstruktion. In: Hoffmann, Dagmar/ Mikos, Lothar (Hrsg.): Mediensozialisationstheorien. Modelle und Ansätze in der Diskussion. 2., überarb. und erw. Aufl. Wiesbaden 2010, p.125.

⁵³ Sweet ibid.

⁵⁴ Sweet ibid.

⁵⁵ cf. Wegener 2010, p.58.

⁵⁶ Wegener ibid.

⁵⁷ cf. Vollbrecht, Ralf: Aufwachsen in Medienwelten. In: Karsten, Fritz/ Kersting, Stephan/ Vollbrecht, Ralf (Hrsg.): Mediensozialisation. Pädagogische Perspektiven des Aufwachsens in Medienwelten. Opladen 2003, p.13ff.

⁵⁸ Vollbrecht loc. cit., p.15.

⁵⁹ cf. Süss/ Hipeli 2010, p.142f.

⁶⁰ cf. Süss/ Hipeli a.a.O., p.146.

⁶¹ Cf. Schorb, Bernd: Mediale Identitätsarbeit. Zwischen Realität, Experiment und Provokation. In: Theunert, Helga (Hrsg.): Jugend- Medien- Identität. Identitätsarbeit Jugendlicher mit und in Medien. München 2009, p.86.

⁶² Schorb loc. cit., p.89.

⁶³ Schorb loc. cit., p.91.

⁶⁴ Cf. Schorb ibid.

⁶⁵ Cf. Wagner, Ulrike: Facetten medialer Identitätsarbeit. Kommunikatives und produktives Medienhandeln in Online- Räumen. In: Theunert, Helga: Jugend- Medien- Identität. Identitätsarbeit Jugendlicher mit und in Medien. München 2009, pp.120-125.

⁶⁶ Wegener 2010, pp.58-59.