A stereotype, as the Merriam-Webster puts it, is “a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment”. It is, in simple wording, a belief that is held over a specific group. Although we don’t realize it, many of our current social issues are correlated with unfair stereotypes.
For example, the very common stereotype that all teenagers are rebels. This stereotype puts teens at a disadvantage as people will generally assume when they see a teen walking across the street, that they’re up to no good. It supports ageism, as people will usually avoid teenagers and try to keep their kids away so they don’t learn their “bad behavior”. It can also cause their opinion to matter less because people might think that they aren’t good at decision making and therefore won’t listen to them. This isn’t true because many teenagers are hard-working and have good morals. That stereotype is fueled by the media, and when people see a teen who is proving the stereotype, it will solidify it. But one rotten apple does not mean that the whole barrel is spoiled.
The problem with stereotypes is that oftentimes they can be harmful and cause inequalities such as stereotypes that cause racism or sexism, and although we don’t always realize it, we do retain this knowledge and it can affect our choices and the way we act towards certain types of people.
A huge supporting factor is (as I have mentioned before) the media. For example, when you see a movie and a character is smart but gets bullied, our brains may make the false connection that if you’re smart, you may get bullied which is incorrect. This is an example of false cause fallacy, which is when we perceive a relationship based on our imaginations. This can be really harmful such as in the example that vaccines cause autism because one may think that because one was diagnosed with it after getting a vaccine, that it causes autism. This idea can harm people as then they won’t get the vaccines they need and they will be at risk for contracting and developing certain diseases.
Stereotypes can put certain people at a disadvantage, such as when you’re at an interview for a job. The interviewer may be influenced by stereotypes that affect you, and if it’s a negative stereotype, you will have a smaller chance of getting the job. Stereotypes don’t give everyone the same chance, putting us on an uneven playing field.
Although I have ruled the media as a big contributing factor, that doesn’t mean that the media is entirely bad and you shouldn’t listen to it. I’m just implying that caution is always good when approaching it, and that the media can also be helpful sometimes, as one way to stop these stereotypes from occurring is knowledge. If one knows the truth, they can share it with others and the stereotype can be debunked. It can be very difficult to make a stereotype disappear, but if there’s a will, there is a way.
Written by A. Chen