Television

The difference between today’s portrayal of these professions and those of the past is that we see more women and minorities in these professions and we see more diverse jobs in support of these professions. For example, cop shows usually have a cast of other people like secretaries, bookkeepers, and employees who support the main characters. Likewise, the very popular show ER certainly portrays characters who are not doctors or nurses that we have come to know and love.

The article also tells us that television portrays the workplace as a place where many of our social needs are met. Many characters on TV are so close to their co-workers that their place of work is like a family setting. This may not be a realistic picture to portray to teenagers. We are at work to do a job, not to socialize or have lots of fun. Sure, work can and should be fun a lot of the time, but remember, we get paid to do a job, and odds are it’s not going to be fun all the time.

Television also leaves out a lot of the other job-related problems that we deal with everyday: child care, both parents’ having to work and not able to spend time with the children, not making enough money, change in the work place, downsizing, deadlines. Television often presents the myth that work is a wonderful thing and not really work. This portrayal can set up unrealistic expectations for today’s teenagers.

What can you do to help counter the influences of TV?

1. Watch TV along with your child so that you can set him straight if the show portrays an unrealistic situation.
2. Discuss the way working men and women are presented and whether the characters’ working lives seem less complicated than the lives of real people.
3. If your child admires a character and is interested in the same career, encourage your child to do some real world exploring. Call up someone in the profession and ask for an informational interview to see what the career is like in the real world.
4. The bottom line: it is up to you and your child to learn about a career in the real world, not on television!

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