Social Impact of LGBTQ+ Representation in Television on Children

Abstract

Representation of different marginalized groups in television has been an important part of that branch of media history. The LGBTQ+ community is one of these groups that has had varying depictions and representations of themselves from their first introductions to now more contemporary programming. With increasing characters and story lines that include the experiences and personalities of queer people, there begs the question: How are people, especially children, socially affected by this content? Children act as the voices of every coming generation, and their exposure to different minority groups at young ages may have an impact on the decisions they make as teens and adults. This paper looks into what makes the contemporary queer character in analysis of stereotypes and tropes, current children’s content with inclusion of queer characters, and how intersecting media, such as social media, affects children and tween’s perception and reaction to these characters.