In Popular Culture today there is not argument that the media contributes to the popularity of people, consumer able items, and cultural beliefs. The media also contributes to the shaping of various stereotypes, general opinions, and beliefs that individuals possess. One area that the media persuades individual interpretations is disability. Many people are born with disabilities of various natures and the severity of each is determined by the type of disability. The article,”Media Representations of Attention Deficit Disorder: Portrayals of Skepticism in Popular Media”, examines the effect that movies and television has on the stereotypes about individuals that have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Attention Deficit Disorder was not recognized as a disability until 1980. (Englandkennedy, 2008) There are several types of Attention Deficit Disorder which include: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder without Hyperactivity, and Residual Type. Prior to 1987 ADD was believed to be a condition that only affected children. Individuals with this disability characterized by their inability to remain focused on a task, unable to follow instruction, fidgety, excessive talking, and disruptive behavior. The only treatment for ADD is a medicine called Ritalin. This drug is a Methylphenidate which stimulates the central nervous system by a dopamine imbalance. In recent years, abuse of Ritalin has been all too familiar in teenagers and young adults.
Television shows and movies are typically based around fictional stories, however, in many instances individuals are able to connect to the characters experiences or feelings. The images that represent the disabled across the world are not being portrayed accurately. Unfortunately, Attention Deficit Disorder is one of the disabilities that falls into this category. The article explores several instances in popular television shows such as “The Simpsons”, “King of the Hill”, and “South Park”. All of these shows, in my opinion, are animated show intended for young adults’ and adults’ entertainment purposes. These shows are based around events that occur in everyday life, however, they expose the hard truth behind popular beliefs and opinions.
For example, the “South Park” episode describes a scenario when a group of young children find out their friend “Tweek” is diagnosed with ADD. Their friend is a fidgety little boy that is unable to pay attention and contain verbal outbursts in school. Tweek’s parents are an all too common example of the parents with a child who is believed to have ADD. They have no regard for typical parental rules such as, no caffeine. Tweek was diagnosed with ADD because of his behavior, never was it mentioned as to whether the parents tried to stop giving him coffee. The parents just blindly accepted the diagnosis and fell into the routine of feeding Ritalin to their child. The other children were also diagnosed with ADD because they found out that there is no homework when you have this disability. The children are treated with the same drug as Tweek and they exhibit side effects common in this drug. This is only one example of a show that contributes to the cultural belief that individuals are unable to live self-satisfying lives without disturbing or burdening others.
Individuals with disabilities should not be immediately written off or segregated because they are different from the socially accepted “norm”. The media’s dramatic impact on the views that society adopts should be used in a positive manner. The media needs to redefine the way that people think about someone with a disability. They should consider them no indifferent than themselves, rather the a helpless burden. Parents should not just accept and follow the regimen set in place to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. This article did an excellent job of exposing the inaccurate views that individuals maintain, in part due to the media’s ability to influence their perceptions and beliefs.
References
ENGLANDKENNEDY, E. L. I. Z. A. B. E. T. H. (2008). Media Representations of Attention Deficit Disorder: Portrayals of Cultural Skepticism in Popular Media. Journal of Popular Culture, 41(1), 91-117.
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A good article. There are truly a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes about learning disabilities. Parents of children diagnosed with any such disorder should seek out information. Educating all of us is the key, and assuming that the media gives an accurate portrayal is very dangerous.
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