Acland's theory

Acland's theory describes how the media's representation of young people allows the state to control them. This is known as 'Ideology of protection', which is the idea that youths need to constantly be watched in order for them to be restricted from their 'delinquent behaviour'. It is deemed that as teenager are at a very significant point in their lives as youths, they need to learn the correct social roles and values according to adults before continuing in life. These will be reinforced and confirmed by the state as at this age, teenagers views are very influential and so Acland's theory displays how they need to be influenced in the correct way in order for their 'unacceptable behaviour to stop.

This therefore effects the representation of youths as they are all seen as being reckless by adults who have to keep enforcing that their actions are bad. Moreover, this displays the hegemony of how these youths should not behave when they reach adulthood and teaches them that they have to grow up and understand the consequences that their actions have. Therefore, widely negative stories have been published in the media to express to the youths the damage that they are causing society which is intended to influence them into behaving better. For example, the idea in 'hoodie horrors' that youths are like monsters often included in horror themes leads some youths to relate these representations to things they fear, such as demons, which moves them in the opposite direction of this sort of behaviour. Furthermore, the media creates a 'normal image' of youths and adults, then contrasting this with behaviour that contrasts against what we deem to be socially acceptable. this is what the audience finds entertaining and interesting, as it is going against these 'normal' views of society.

In conclusion, Acland's theory informs and explains how the state believes controlling youths and pressuring them into seeing how their behaviour is bad, will enable them to control and restrict them from the 'monstrous' stereotype that has been created of them. Moreover, by looking at this theory I have been able to understand and build knowledge on how teenagers have been exploited into believing everything they do is unacceptable and wrong.