Does Diversity Matter?
By, Dr. Kevin Clark
Diversity is sometimes discussed as an after-thought, but as new innovations emerge it is clear that it needs to be more top of mind. In 2016, US Census data showed that babies of color were in the majority. It is estimated that by 2020, the majority of youth 18 years and younger will be of color; with the rest of the population becoming majority ‘minority’ by 2040.
Diversity is sometimes discussed as an after-thought, but as new innovations emerge it is clear that it needs to be more top of mind. In 2016, US Census data showed that babies of color were in the majority. It is estimated that by 2020, the majority of youth 18 years and younger will be of color; with the rest of the population becoming majority ‘minority’ by 2040.
The impact of this demographic shift will be particularly
felt in media and advertising. Children
of color are typically exposed to media the most; about 13 hours per day, as compared
to 8.5 hours for White children. Exposure to television is about 5.5 hours per
day for children of color, but only 3.5 hours for White children. This is
significant because research has shown that one-third of African American youth
report being exposed often to negative content regarding their race and
one-fourth reported being exposed often to content that is negative toward women
(Rideout, Scott, & Clark, 2016). Additionally, for some children increased media
exposure may lead to decreased self-esteem; particularly for pre-teen Black
boys and girls as well as White girls (Martins & Harrison, 2012).
With these impacts to increased media consumption and
exposure, you may ask how are children of color impacted by advertising? A recent study found that most of the food
advertising targeting Latino and African American children was for unhealthy
products; with African American teens seeing twice as many unhealthy food ads. As
technological innovations allow us to customize content, including advertising,
we should explore the impact of increased exposure to advertising for an
increasing diverse youth population.
If you’re interested in learning more about how demographic
shifts may impact children’s media consumption and exposure to advertising,
please join CARU at the Children’s Advertising Review Unit 2019 Conference on
March 6, 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Kevin Clark will focus on how children of
color consume large amounts of media and the adverse implications that may
result.
Dr. Kevin Clark is currently a Professor of Learning Technologies and the Founding Director of the Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity at George Mason University. Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Clark was part of an educational technology startup company, where he managed the design and development of children’s educational content for the Sony PlayStation. Kevin Clark’s research focuses on the role of interactive and digital media in education, broadening participation in STEM, and issues of diversity in children’s media. Kevin has extensive experience as a children’s media advisor and/or consultant for organizations like: Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Cartoon Network, Jim Henson Company, Fred Rogers Company, DHX Media, Disney Junior, Toca Boca, Hasbro, Mattel, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon Studios, and WGBH Kids.
References
Martins, N. and
Harrison, K. (2012). Racial and gender differences in the relationship between
children's television use and self-esteem: A longitudinal panel study.
Communication Research, 2011; 39 (3)
Rideout, V.,
Scott, K., & Clark, K. (2016). The digital lives of African American
tweens, teens, and parents: Innovating and learning with technology. Available
at https://cgest.asu.edu/digitallives