Section A

Compare and contrast the two texts, with particular reference to the representation of teenagers. Both texts have represented teenagers in contrasting ways, the discussion both focus around their negative representations however one argues to defend the group. The metro revolves around a story of how teenagers are using Youtube as a weapon to gather members of gangs together. Whereas the article on the Daily Mail website tells its readers of how teenagers are offended by being called a ‘Gang’ where they should be called a group. The Daily mail challenges the stereotypes of teenagers being violent and involved with gang related crimes. A controversial topic is depicted between the two texts as the Metro newspaper article has a image of a black male holding a gun. Whereas the Daily Mail article uses an image of a group of white kid’s, this arises the topic of race. The Metros article being about violence and gangs online it signifies that black males are the reason of these gangs and that they are the reason of teenage violence. In comparison to the Daily Mail article the article talks about how the teenagers have been offended by being called a ‘gang’. The use of a group of white kids insinuates that the white race is being targeted wrong and that they have been represented incorrectly. The use of a revolver upon the cover of Metro newspaper suggests to its readers that teenagers are using weapons such as the revolver within their online gangs. The use of the quote ‘threat: a revolver favoured by London gangs’ directly involves the teenagers as the article talks about how teenagers are forming gangs online. The article uses the word ‘violent’ which connotes and brings evidence to the stereotypes of teenagers being aggressive. The Daily mail concentrates on how the teenagers have been targeted, and go against their stereotype of being the people that are causing harm or being frustrating. However this the stereotype is reinforced further down the article as it mentions of ‘gang rape’ which is supposedly carried out by teenagers, although it argues it should be ‘group rape’ which really doesn’t change the tone they are represented in, as rape is always to be considered a sickening crime. Consider the view that the current press treatment of teenagers is simply another moral panic.. The concern with teenagers has always been around, with many stories around that involve teenagers. The press has negatively represented teenagers within the media and has led to some form of Desensitization by its readers as it has become a common thing to see teenagers negatively. The moral panic created by the Metro’s article suggests that teenagers have now become an online gang and becoming more of a threat. However it can be argued that this isn’t just another moral panic as in the recent years more online activity involving gangs has been occurring such as happy slapping, which were carried out by teenagers who were in gangs and were filmed and placed online. The Metro article has given rise to a moral panic which seems to be becoming worse as teenagers are now going out and harming the older public. The Daily mail article suggests against a moral panic as it says the teenagers have been represented wrongly as instead of gangs they as just a group. These challenges the moral panic created by the article in the Metro as it tells us that teenagers aren’t all gang members and that there are teenagers who just hang around without any disturbance caused.
In the past year students have been placed with another moral panic as when the government changed the amount to pay for univeristy course, it gave way to student protests. These protests were full of young teenagers fighting for their right to go to university, as now fees were higher it meant that it was unlikely for many to still go. The protests gave way to violence and distribution within the capital. The media used this opportunity to represent teenagers as negative as they could. It can be said that the press have always been creating moral panics and they don’t seem to be changing, they all focus on the way teenagers are aggressive and violent. There are always concerns about new technology. In your view, what are the possible benefits and Problems attached to social networking, particularly on the Internet? New technology has always been arsing over the years, people have always had problems with new technology as they are afraid of what effects it may cause upon them and society. However it can be argued that new technology has brought many advantages. New technology such as YouTube has given rise to the ‘bedroom producer’ which allows young teenagers to promote themselves and their music online to a wider audience to gain some sort of benefit from. It has given teenagers a way to stay off the streets and to give them a way to in source some money. However it has also given rise to these gangs to recruit members upon giving teenagers a negative representation. Social networking sites play a big part in our society, not within just the younger years but people over 50 have started to use websites such as facebook, bebo, MySpace etc. These sites have given rise to many benefits for people such as it allows people to keep in touch even if they live in different countries or areas. Also being free it allows people to communicate without the extra costs like a mobile would. However there is a growing concern with social networking as people may not be who they seem to be. It has given rise to paedophilia and also stalkers. Recently there has been in an increase of the amount crimes committed online such as identity theft and has also led to rape as older men target young children upon these sites. There are many downside to the internet and social networking, however it has allowed people to have more freedom of speech and given people a way to express their thoughts and feeling without the regulation you would have within a magazine or broadcasted on TV. Social network sites such as Twitter, within Web 2.0 have allowed the general public to interact with famous star and celebrities. This allows us to create general discussion and also to follow up on their day to day business. New technology such as Skype has allowed the public to have face to face chat via the internet globally. Skype allows its users to carry out chat from different towns, cities to counties. It has brought us together within a ‘global village’ as Marshall McLuhan said. The interconnectivity within different counties has allowed the public to become more global and allows us to carry out general talks with family to business meetings with partners on the other side of the world. To conclude new technology has brought us many benefits and has helped us evolve further in life by bring people closer and also giving us more freedom to what we want to see. There are downsides to new technology however they are being handled and tried to be erased.