TV and movies form a crucial part of our modern lives but a new study claims that media aimed at teens on Netflix, such as the hit series Stranger Things, shows misleading depictions of pain.
Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada and the University of Bath in the United Kingdom analyzed over 60 hours of Netflix content aimed at 12 to 18-year-olds and concluded that the sample of movies and TV series often trivialized pain and played into gender and racial stereotypes.
Researchers examine how pain is portrayed on Netflix
To carry out their study, published in the journal Pain, the team of psychologists examined a sample of 10 movies and six TV series featuring adolescent protagonists. The selection included Stranger Things, Sex Education, Enola Holmes, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The sample equated to over 60 hours of footage and through their study, researchers noted a total of 732 painful incidents (10.24 per hour) and in doing so, uncovered several themes running throughout the various films and shows.
Pain caused by violence was the most common depiction, featuring in 57% of instances while everyday causes of pain were much less common. For example, characters being involved in accidents such as falling over or bumping their knees represented 21% of incidents while chronic-type pain such as headaches, abdominal pain or backache made up just 1% of incidents.
As well as charting the types of pain depicted in media, the study also examined other characters’ reactions to pain. Researchers noted a general lack of empathy from other characters, noting that those suffering from pain often faced criticism (24%) or humor (10%).
The study claimed that the lack of empathy shown by characters in film and TV could result in a similar trend in real life as people, particularly young people, often mirror the behavior they see in the media.
‘I want Netflix to take this seriously’
Speaking in a news release following the publication of the study, lead researcher Dr Melanie Noel of the University of Calgary’s Department of Psychology discussed the impact media has on people and how platforms such as Netflix have a responsibility to create entertainment that is a positive influence.
“Media is one of the most powerful engines of influence on children’s development and could be harnessed to address pain and suffering in the world,” she said. “Stories matter. Fictional stories can matter more in some cases than real-life stories. So, let’s create stories to reflect the world we want to see: A humane, diverse, inclusive, equitable, compassionate, and caring world.”
“I want Netflix to take this seriously and get excited and inspired to directly influence millions of children around the world,” Dr Noel added. “They have a monumental opportunity to influence the compassion and humanity we see in our children and our future world.”
Dr Abbie Jordan of the Department of Psychology and Centre for Pain Research at the University of Bath added: “If we’re not showing the types of pain that adolescents might typically experience like back pain and menstrual pain, then we’re trivializing pain.
“We’re not doing a great job of enabling them to think about how to manage pain, how to talk about pain and how to show empathy when other people experience pain.”
Perpetuating stereotypes
As well as depictions of pain, the study also explored the use of stereotypes in the sample of movies and TV shows.
Researchers discovered that male characters were more likely to experience pain (77%) than their female counterparts and would often be portrayed as heroic and stoic figures, having to overcome pain in order to come to the rescue of the helpless and emotional girl.
The stereotypes extended beyond gender too as white characters were depicted as pain sufferers in 78% of instances compared to 22% of racialized characters.
“This research matters because if every film and television series shows a boy being a ‘tough guy’ when they experience pain and a girl as a ‘damsel in distress’ in need of saving, they might think they have to be like that in real life,” explained Dr Jordan. “This depiction reinforces old-fashioned ideas about gender and is misleading.”
“Sadly, we anticipated an overrepresentation of pain in white individuals compared with people of color, highlighting the underrepresentation of pain in marginalized groups,” she added. “Our findings really highlight the importance of pain researchers working with the media to find better ways to represent the experience of pain and how individuals respond to pain in others, particularly around marginalized groups.”
“We would love to work collaboratively with Netflix and movie/television creators on increasing the representation of girls and people of color in instances where pain is experienced and start a dialogue around how to more realistically respond to pain in others, thinking about pro-social behaviors and displaying empathy,” Dr Jordan concluded.
