A Discussion Of Mass Media's Representation And Construction To The Post-80s Generation

Since the late 20th century, "post-80s generation" popped into publics'eyesight as a social hot spot. It used to refer those who born after 1980 at the very beginning. However, time went by, and the concept of "post-80s generation" became richer as well. It gradually evolved into a "youth subculture identity", even a symbol of popular culture. Their image became the focus of mass media, and was portrayed in the process of representation as two utter extremes.This paper chose media image of "post-80s generation" as research object, and launched the thorough analysis to it from the perspectives of cultural studies, communications, and social psychology etc.The paper firstly cuts into the study from the angle of mass communication and cultural study, and illustrate three major dimensions how mass medium represent "post-80s generation"——which are intergeneration dimension, gender dimension and stratum dimension——with the theories of "speech power", "gender politics", "cultural capital" as well as the consumerism principle and so on.Among those representative groups, the post-80s writers group has been described as linglei, disobey, selfish and indifferent because of minor individual's high-key speech and behavior; And female college students group has always been regarded as disadvantaged and immoral one whose bodies and emotions become the object of mass medium sexual staring. The disputable group——post-80s rich second generations was the focus of mass medium. Their entertainment value and consuming capacity attracted most attention from public society. But the part of post-80s group who came from countryside was often neglected by the mass medium. This kind of two-pole contrast was reflecting the fact that mass medium has connived the stratum difference between these tow groups.Then under the frame of social psychology and political economics, the author analyses the "post-80s generation" new media image after 2008 year "political leader's fans" and " Wen Chuan earthquake" events. And contrast the image of reconstruction with the old three typical one to draw an conclusion:The particular angles that media reports adopted are the result of gambling between political power and economic power. The social and cultural meaning what "post-80s generation" bore are not inherent, but epigenetic.In the end of the paper, the author proposes, the spreading of post-80s generation's media image is involving with a series of intergenerational problems and sub-cultural issues. So must be considered seriously. Only in this way can reflect this young group objectively, while building a sustainable and harmonious intergenerational relationships, and guide a healthy and positive way of their subculture.