Becoming Active Consumers: The Connection Between Reflection, Media, and Gender
As adolescent media consumption continues to increase, experts have speculated about the negative impact this behavior has on youth. This mixed-methods study sought to investigate whether reflective practices, through which one looks back on experiences in order to make meaning and to move forward intentionally, serve as a way for adolescent girls to be active participants in their media consumption including how they think about and understand gender. Using a case study design, data included questionnaires as well as focus group interviews. Preliminary findings suggest participants were fairly willing to engage with reflective activities surrounding media but were less able to generalize what they learned to their own life. This suggests that future research on how adolescent girls can be prompted not only to reflect on the media they consume but integrate these reflections into their own lives is needed.
