Where is the Diversity in Media?

By Krystal Nguyen

Art by Nick Slater

Society is largely impacted by social media, whether we like to admit it or not. Some more so than others. What isn’t discussed enough is the impact of lack of inclusivity. The systematic racism that indirectly occurs is only getting larger, influencing the youth. Younger generations are getting more familiar on social media such as Instagram or tiktok, full of “influencers.” These influencers seem to be dominantly white. As an individual, there’s not much we can do to change that; however, we can recognize the trend. Although we cannot change who has a large following, we can try to support other races and cultures so that the younger generation see more representation within social media.

Apple Slices

The same thing can be said about Hollywood's culture. The ratio of white celebrities to people of color is alarming. We all know at least one black, Asian, or Latino/Latina celebrity, but if we were asked to list off any celebrity it seems that we have no problem listing off many white people. As an Asian American, I do not see much representation on the red carpet. What I do see a lot of is the typical American beauty standard. What I mean by that is people like Hailey Bieber, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, etc. Some of these are women who I’ve grown up watching and seeing, yet I can’t help noticing/comparing the differences. Society fails to effectively represent people of color within our generation, but we must refuse to do so from here on out. If not for us, then for future generations and their children.

Written by: Krystal Nguyen

Website: Human Central

Date: April 1, 2021