ABSTRACT
As the above remark makes clear, the potential for media to contribute to our self-definition and our understanding of the world around us has not been lost on super-producer Shonda Rhimes. By selecting Black women to star as the powerful and magnetic lead figures in her immensely successful television dramas (e.g., Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder), she has been credited with nearly singlehandedly transforming contemporary TV casting practices (e.g., McEwen, 2014); long known for neglecting and ignoring racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., Andreeva, 2015). Yet, her comment additionally alludes to the fact that an uneven playing field exists when it comes to the ability of all audience members to find supportive and constructive messages about themselves (in particular, their racial/ethnic groups) in mass media offerings. This is no trivial matter. Although media represent only one among a number of factors that influence our psychological well-being, exposure to mass media content can meaningfully impact on our perceptions about ourselves and social identities, our self-confidence and self-esteem (see chapters by Klimmt; Slater and Cohen, this volume), and even our current and future aspirations (see Mastro, 2015, for review). Thus, given evidence indicating that the quality of media depictions often differs based on the race/ethnicity of the character (see Mastro, 2009a, for review), the implications of media use for well-being are likely to vary depending on the race/ethnicity of the audience member. The current chapter addresses this association. Specifically, this chapter examines issues of media and racial/ethnic well-being in the context of: (a) self-esteem and self-concept, (b) emotions and aspirations, (c) perceptions about one’s group in society, and (d) media use and avoidance. Beneficial outcomes of media use for racial and ethnic groups will be highlighted, whenever possible.
