Gerbner's cultivation theory

Cultivation theory examines the long-term effects of television. This theory states that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television. In this sense, perceptions of the world are heavily influenced by the images and ideological messages transmitted through popular television media. For example, if someone were to watch heavily crime themed TV shows, then they may become far more suspicious and wary of strangers than they need to be. This is because they will have become accustomed to the fact that even the slightest unusual behaviour from something unknown means they are under threat. The term for this is 'Mean World Syndrome' which describes how people have began to expect the worse from reality, based on the television they are watching.

This displays how youths are always the victims of being involved within crime throughout various media platforms. As others watch this widely negative perception of youths on television, they begin to believe that every teenager they come across must be dangerous or a threat to them. Therefore, the representation of youth has become damaged through the now pessimistic view that is displayed upon teenagers. This is as they have automatically been given a bad name, without considering what they might actually be like. Moreover, many programmes have 'indoctrinated' the public into placing the blame onto teens as they are seen as an easy target with the negative view of them already perceived by the public. This effectively pushes out the idea that some teens may be normal and not the 'monsters' that they media make them appear to be.

Moreover, Gerbner identifies two assumptions which highlight the functionality of the Cultivation theory. The first is that 'television is fundamentally different from other forms of mass media''. This means that as television is visual and auditory, it therefore does not require for viewers to be literate. With television also being free, there are no limitations to who can watch it and therefore comprehend the contents that are being emitted. The second is that 'television shapes the way individuals within society think and relate to each other'. This means that the realities created by television are not based on real facts but on speculations. Gerbner asserts that television's major cultural function is to stabilize social patterns and to cultivate resistance to change. Therefore, Cultivation theory doesn't predict what we will do after watching a violent program, but rather harbors an innate worry and fear of a violence-filled world after being exposed to violent programming.

By looking at this theory we are able to tell that the representation of youths is closely linked to what we see on television. In this sense, people's perceptions on representations depends on what has been shown on the television. Gerbner argues this through describing how watching television doesn't cause a particular behaviour, but instead watching television over time adds to our perception of the world around us. Therefore, youth culture films victimize teenagers by always perceiving them as the 'bad guy' or 'monster'. This builds a negative image of youths in the public's mind and unconsciously makes them cautious of teenagers when they do not need to be.