ADVERTISING AND GENDER STEREOTYPES: THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA LITERACY

Reklame su jedan od najraširenijih oblika medijskih i kulturnih proizvoda, kojima smo svjesno ili nesvjesno izloženi svakodnevno. Moderna oglašivačka industrija postala je središnja institucija tržišno-industrijske ekonomije na koju se godišnje potroši više stotina milijardi dolara. Stručnjaci za medije slažu se da je učinak oglašavanja na stavove, ponašanje i emocije vrlo snažan, osobito kada se radi o djeci i mladima. Trend je da reklame rijetko prikazuju prednosti proizvoda čiju prodaju pokušavaju potaknuti, a sve više nameću određene životne stilove koje mladi usvajaju kao dio njihovih identiteta i obrazaca ponašanja. To se prvenstveno odnosi na rodne stereotipe i nerealne prikaze ženskih i muških tijela kao glavnih komponenti oglašavanja. Posebno je važno pitanje posljedica česte izloženosti rodnim stereotipima u oglašavanju na psihosocijalnoj i socijalnoj razini. Kako bi se smanjili negativni učinci reklama, potrebno je djelovati na više razina. Društvena razina uključuje provođenje odgovorne medijske politike i definiranje etičkih standarda u oglašavanju. Na individualnoj razini, roditelji i nastavnici trebaju preuzeti odgovornost za razvijanje medijske pismenosti djece i mladih.Advertisements are one of the most widespread forms of media and cultural products, that we are either consciously or unconsciously exposed to on a daily basis. Contemporary advertisement industry has become the central institution of market-industrial economy with yearly expenditures reaching billions of dollars. Media experts agree that the effect of advertisement on attitudes, behaviour and emotions is very powerful, especially when it comes to children and young people. There is a trend in which advertisements rarely include the advantages of a product whose sale they are trying to encourage, but are rather increasingly imposing certain lifestyles that young people adopt as part of their identity and behaviour patterns. This is primarily related to gender stereotypes and unrealistic images of female and male bodies as main components of advertising. Especially important question arises when it comes to the consequences of frequent exposure to gender stereotypes in advertising, on psychosocial and social level of people. To minimize the negative effects of advertisements, it is necessary to act on several levels. Social level includes conducting a responsible media policy and defining ethical standards in advertising. On an individual level, parents and teachers should take responsibility for developing media literacy of children and youth