What's Media Got to Do with?: Exploring Media Influence and African-American Teens' Romantic Relationship Expectations and Ideals

Background: Teen dating violence (TDV) is a serious public health issue, disproportionately impacting African-American youth. Social-ecological theory views social problems, like TDV, as largely determined through interactions between individuals and their environmental contexts. Because youth interact with media (e.g. television, music, and social media) for a significant amount of time each day, it is important to understand how media supports or challenges prevailing social norms about romantic relationships and thus how it can potentially create or reproduce social inequities. This study posed the following research questions: 1) how do African-American teens describe romantic relationships depicted in the media; and 2) how do media relationship depictions influence teens’ relationship expectations and ideals.  

Method: Nine mixed gender focus groups were conducted as part of a larger teen media literacy conference event. Participants (n=86) were aged 13 and 17 years old, primarily African-American (82 %), and slightly more female (62%). Each focus group was led by two trained facilitators and lasted approximately 30 minutes. Questions from a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore media depictions of African-American males, females, and couples and to elicit descriptions and evaluations of teen relationships. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded by the research team using a modified constructivist grounded theory method. N-Vivo software was used to organize memos and transcripts.

Findings: Teens described peer and celebrity relationships. These relationships varied widely in terms of how healthy or unhealthy teens believed them to be. Some participants expressed that teen relationships were necessarily less stable and exclusive than adult relationships; while others voiced similar standards for adult and teen relationships. Teens frequently cited negative stereotypes reflected in media content, especially with regard to intersecting gender, race, and class identities. For example, media depictions of African-American males as unfaithful were commonly cited as problematic.  Teens identified gender differences in terms of sexual behavior and relationship responsibilities. For example, some participants felt it was more acceptable for male teens to ‘cheat’ because female were more ‘mature’ and capable of a higher standard of behavior. Male participants described feeling pressured to provide gifts and pay for dates in order to be seen as a good partner.  Many teens believed positive romantic relationships depicted in media seemed unattainable, unrealistic, or ‘fake’. Teens expressed a desire for healthy mutual romantic relationships. However because teens were skeptical about the authenticity of media content, they expressed confusion and ambivalence about what they should realistically expect in their own relationships.

Implications: These findings provide helpful insights regarding media’s potential influence on teens’ relationship expectations and ideals.  This study suggests teens have specific relationship perceptions associated with the media, as well as unique expectations by gender. Many teens were unsuccessfully attempting to reconcile media depictions with authentic or desired relationships. Prevention efforts should address teens’ need to better understand how they can achieve the healthy relationships that they desire.  Future research should continue to explore the influence media has on the romantic relationships of diverse teens and particularly its’ impact on perpetuating social inequities.