Descrizione del progetto
Mass media, social media e malleabilità: le ripercussioni sulla definizione del successo da parte dei giovani
Gli adolescenti di oggi sono più inclini a definire il successo sulla base di quanto vedono nei mezzi di comunicazione di massa e nei social media, piuttosto che dei fatti tangibili del mondo reale. Il progetto MIMIc, finanziato dall’UE, definirà gli effetti in questi media degli «ideali malleabili», rappresentazioni idealizzate di diversi risultati caratterizzate dalla malleabilità che le pervade. Un gruppo composto da ricercatori di varie nazionalità studierà gli effetti esercitati dalle pressioni create dagli ideali influenzati dai media e i loro risultati nei problemi personali o sociali degli adolescenti. Nell’ambito del progetto, verranno elaborate e verificate nuove teorie al fine di acquisire una comprensione più approfondita in merito alle ripercussioni provocate dagli ideali condizionati dai media.
Obiettivo
MIMIc will develop and establish a new theoretical perspective that will fundamentally redirect the current research on idealised representations of life in mass and social media and their effects on (adolescent) audiences. MIMIc combines insights from cultural sociology, media theory, and developmental psychology to define the effects of ‘malleable ideals’ in media. Malleable ideals are idealised representations of different achievements and are characterised by the malleability that surrounds these achievements; they approach ideals from a utilitarian, individualistic discourse that links personal responsibility and dedication with both the failure and success of achievements. By focusing on malleable ideals and thus applying a sociocultural analysis to media ideals, a crucial perspective will be added to our understanding of the development of adolescents and, more precisely, the pressures they experience. These pressures are viewed as an important factor in the relatively high prevalence of both internalising and externalising problems in adolescence. Content analytical, diary, and longitudinal studies in three different cultural contexts will be triangulated to develop a theoretical model: MIME. Content analyses map the extent to which media abound with aesthetic, sexual, professional, romantic, and social ideals as well as the importance of malleability in these representations. Longitudinal and diary research examine the internalisation of these ideals as a key explanatory process for the effects they may have both on outcomes regarding personal and societal problems and among different groups of adolescents. The multimethod approach further allows the theorisation and testing of the role of varying time intervals associated with understanding the effects of mediated ideals. For this research, the applicant who is experienced in multimethod research on media effects among adolescents will compose and lead a cross-national team of researchers.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-STG - Starting GrantIstituzione ospitante
3000 Leuven
Belgio