ON HOW STEREOTYPES INFLUENCES GENERATIONS & MODERN STEREOTYPES

A stereotype is a simplified opinion about a group of people and it is passed from generation to generation through parents, friends, language, school and media. Firstly, the paper explains how stereotypes are produced and then handed down to other generations. Secondly, it explains the journey from the baby boomers through Gen X and millennials to Gen Z. The main focus of this paper is to explain how media is shaping the stereotypes that Gen Z holds. General effects are discussed first, and then gender-specific effects are discussed. For young men, they include the gym body and the deep alpha voice, while for women, they include the filtered face and aesthetic lifestyles. The paper also discusses alignment and digital education, and it ends with limitations and questions for further research.