Stereotypes are constanly circulating through media images, videos, and texts making them seem natural or familiar and impact public understanding. Media is a powerful tool in the sense that it can frame, shape, or set limits on how an audience is invited to perceive groups, issues, and stories. Stereotypes, broadly circulating ideas, or assumptions about a particular group are enhanced through platforms in the media industry creating a social disparity between gender, races, ethnic groups, and ages. Consequently, this exaggeration of the characteristics, traits, and mannerisms of people not only create a divide between groups in society, but also causes many people to stress about feeling the need to be more conscious of their actions in order to stay away from their stereotype. Most stereotypes project negative impressions on groups of people and it insists upon absolute differences: "us" and "them", or "others". Stereotypes including subjected gender roles negatively affect the cardiovascular health of students, people in the workforce, and all of those who participate in the consumption of media.

Stereotypes, especially those based on gender, is not a new concept. Male-sanctioned norms of beauty have skewed the role of a woman for generations. Women have had to deal with unideal gender roles depicted in the media through forms of advertisements as early as the 1950’s. Often times many advertisements, articles, and political comics show women with augmented breasts being approved by men in contrast to women who are flat chested. Additionally, many TV shows, articles, and advertisements portray women playing the role as “the perfect and obedient wife." They are limited to playing fragile and dependent roles resulting in developing these tendencies in their own lives. The fashion industry during this time period encouraged these anti-feminist views. Fashion advertisements with models that displayed an unrealistic standard of beauty created degrading cultural norms in the 1950’s and 60’s extending into today's society. Women’s clothes were more form-fitting and sexy while men’s attire had a more business look. This emphasized that the husband is the powerhouse of the family while the wife only has domestic and motherly duties. As mentioned previously these ideas were instilled in man-constructed platforms of visual communications. More often than not these forms of media would portray marriage as the most important goal of an American women and would publically ridicule those who did not "fit in the box". The pressure to fit into this mold originally created anxiety and stress not only for our ancestors but also for women and younger generations of the current age. 

Stereotypes have been around for centuries dividing races and genders but with the advancement of technology the media has normalized stereotypes. Since the creation of the media industry many children mature and become adults carrying out and playing a part in stereotypes affecting how they present themselves and treat others. As children grow up they bear these characteristics and project these ideas to younger generations ultimately creating a cycle of false gender roles and stereotypes. Disney and Pixar movies as well as other childhood films and shows have instilled in young girls and boys false ideas in what roles they should perform in their lives and in society. In these movies women and girls are generally portrayed as weak and in need of a man to fix her problems or save her from distress. Men and boys are generally portrayed as testosterone driven heroes who always save the day. These gender stereotypes promote girls and boys to look up to specific movie characters and emulate them simply because they are the same gender. When children watch these movies the characters not only further create a divide between young males and females, but also in our society. Once a new Disney or Pixar movie comes out companies spread the divide even more by creating merchandise capitalizing on girls tendencies to go for the “girly” toy while boys typically go for the “manly” toy. The way the characters in Disney and Pixar films are help visually portray a "pink and blue world.” Since Disney and Pixar attracts a large audience it is crucial for their movies to portray gender roles as fair and equal in order to foster a new generation of unbiased thinkers. 

As more companies premier new movies and shows for children each year, more toys are produced giving ideas to children about what toys they should play with based on their gender. Young girls are typically more attracted to the girly fragile princess toy while young boys are attracted to the strong warrior type toys. Sex-typing derives from parents who use gender influenced practices to raise their children resulting in forced views thrust upon the youth. Because children look up to their parents, children’s toys and other merchandise bought by their parents based on their child's gender make young boys and girls believe that the stereotypes these products generate are accurate. These types of parents generally buy their daughters frilly, pink, maternal toys such as Easy Bake Ovens, Barbies, American Girl Dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, Baby Alive and princess' costumes. Likewise, they purchase violent, rough, and less visually pleasing toys such as Hotwheels, Call of Duty games, and Legos for their sons. Furthermore, the toys aimed at a young female audience all center around domestic jobs: cooking, dressing up, taking care of babies, etc. Toy companies gender market their products which “narrows the set of interests based on gender and widens the possibility for the child to pursue interests that he or she cares about and has a talent for” (Miller). Labor statistics suggest that companies use gender stereotypes for toys, media, and TV shows to improve companies’ profits (Kacerguis and Adams). Companies socially appropriate gender roles with their products by also making toys that are more pleasing to the eye for girls and tough, dark-colored toys for boys. When children request these toys from their parents it subconsciously encourages them to live up to a pre-conceived gender role and certain stereotype. The stereotypes movies create alter society’s viewpoint for males causing them to believe they should be tough and strong as well as hide their emotions. Likewise, females are forced to believe they should be very ladylike and dependent on a man. Statistics have shown that if business increased the number of females in management and decision-making positions instead of the “traditional female job”, i.e. a stay at home mother, then the gender stereotypes would decrease and help children grow to pursue a career they would want (Kacerguis and Adams). If more women had a part in the decision making, then the divide between males and females would decrease and help lessen the gender stereotypes in a society. 

Companies have found a major economic force in our society by using gender in advertising. Similar to companies using children’s gender to attract males and females to certain toys, companies use race as a mechanism to appeal to a certain audience. In 1990, African Americans were the largest minority group in the US and spent over $170 billion that year (Brown and Bun). Statistics have shown that when African Americans are used in sports advertisements, they produce a favorable reaction for the product being advertised. For example, Nike advertisements use famous African American basketball players and football players to attract more young urban males, rather than using a famous Caucasian, Hispanic, or Asian athlete. Concurrently, alcohol and tobacco companies racially discriminate and aim their products at African Americans by using African American models in their advertisements. Using racial stereotypes companies with harmful products aimed at African Americans emphasize the racial stereotype that African Americans are "hoodlums". Much like the youth and their gender roles, African Americans either embrace their stereotypes by living up to them in order to fit into how society implies they should behave or they acquire anxiety from constantly trying to dispel these stereotypes.  

Pop culture and the media are not the only platforms for circulating stereotypes as culture stereotypes are exposed in schools too. Teachers use stereotypes to teach their students about a country’s culture and skew their ideas of the society’s culture. Language teachers exaggerate a society’s culture to try and help students grab a sense of norms in foreign countries. By exaggerating a country’s culture, teachers are expanding the cultural stereotype of a country and skewing their student’s ideas of a society. Teachers across the world are explaining culture to their students by using stereotypes from all over the globe emphasizing how teachers commonly use stereotypes to culture appropriate. Typically foreign countries believe that all American societies are all similar to New York or Hollywood and have a skewed perception of Western norms. Teachers culture appropriate in order for their students to grasp culture in other countries.  

Not only do teachers use stereotypes to teach a foreign societies culture, but also use gender stereotypes to adjust their teaching styles with their students depending on the subject students are learning. Teachers gender stereotype their students and expect more out of their male students regarding mathematics. Stereotypes affect performances of all racial and gender groups. Studies through the Implicit Associate Tests compared male and female second graders and how gender stereotypes influence their mathematical success (Cancer). In the United States mathematics is a more male dominant subject causing teachers to assist their male students more with math while making girls feel like courses containing mathematics was not for them (V-neck). Teachers direct their attention based on their student’s gender influencing students to believe they can or cannot achieve academic success in a certain subject. 

Teachers use stereotypes to teach culture and direct their time on males and females based on the subject the class is on. However, children can become stereotype conscious at a young age. If parents are stereotype conscious it causes their children to be stereotype conscious too which they naturally will pass on to their peers. There is a strong academic and social consequence of stereotyping in middle school children. When students learn their racial stereotype, it becomes an immediate stressor affecting their cardiovascular health (McKown). Once they become self-aware of what society wants them to be, students spend time fixating on how their peers view them effecting their academic and social anxiety. Students stress over trying to fit in with their racial stereotype, attempting to impress their peers, or by showing they are above their stereotype. Studies have also shown that African American and Latino children who have been made aware of their racial stereotypes have had their working memory negatively affected (McKown). Even though racism and discrimination create negative stereotypes and stress for ethnic minorities, positive stereotypes also can create stress for students. Asian students believe they must work harder because of their racial stereotype causing their stress to increase. Even though an Asian student works hard to fit in their racial stereotype, the student becomes overly stressed about trying to become someone they do not have to be. When students have an Asian student as a peer, they immediately think they are not as smart as that peer and perform worse when the two are being compared (Faye). Non-Asian students are fearing that “the supposed academic achievement of Asian Americans is used as a beacon to highlight the typical American success story, a group to be admired and emulated by others. At the same time, however, it is used to produce a heightened sense of fear, particularly in schools where the Asian ‘horde’ will take over the classrooms to raise test scores and ruin the grading curve, resulting in a new form of ‘White Flight’” (Ng).The term ”White Flight” is the belief that caucasian students cannot achieve the same academic success compared to Asians because of their race (Ng). Many students believe they are supposed to follow the path their stereotype portrays and perform the way that society perceives them not allowing students to reach their own full potential. 

Stereotypes are stressors for children in schools and as they mature these beliefs follow them causing racial and gender stereotyping in the workforce. Studies have shown psychological stressors due to discrimination in the workplace can cause physical illness (Faye). African American workers’ blood pressure rises when there is racial discrimination coming from white co-workers (Faye). Stereotypes have a strong positive correlation with ethnically related stressors. Everyone is vulnerable to physical and emotional threats if their group is associated with a negative stereotype. Minorities can feel judged and ridiculed when a stereotype comes up in the work place and their performance can become significantly impaired too.

Media images, videos, and texts are constantly used which allows them to sway the public to choose a certain path. The media is powerful and can virtually shape opinion over issues and stories. Stereotypes create social disparity between race, gender, and ethnic groups by exaggerating or emphasizing qualities and characteristics of a certain group. Even though some stereotypes can be used to help a society, many cause a lot of stress and division between groups. The media uses stereotypes in such a way that influences people to behave a certain way in schools and in the work place. Stereotypes can leave negative impressions and people should not use them to judge people’s characteristics. Exaggerating or emphasizing stereotypes of different genders, races, and ethnicities strongly affects how we perceive different people causing divide and hostility in our society.
