The media and your career choice: can't wait to become a brain surgeon? Great! But in the meantime, don't let the media play with your mind! - Focus

Career World, Oct, 2002 by Janice Arenofsky

In 1992, Mae Jemison, the first black female astronaut, blasted into space. She thanked Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. Jemison told Nichols that her TV character inspired her to pursue a scientific career.

"Watching TV, playing video games, listening to music, and surfing the Internet have become a full-time job for the typical American kid," says Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The foundation studied 3,000 children ages 2 through 18. It learned that kids spend more than 38 hours a week using the different media.

TVIs Tops

Television is the favorite pop-culture. medium for eighth graders and younger kids. TV shows generally reflect our society, but the picture isn't always an accurate one. For example, doctors, lawyers, entertainers, and law enforcement officers are featured on the majority of TV shows. The reason? Hollywood believes these careers have more status and are more glamorous and exciting than other occupations. In real life, most people do not work in these fields.

"Often people forget [that] a show is fiction and accept it as real," says Michael Asimow, a law professor at UCLA and author. Asimow says that television presents a better image of lawyers than films do. Georgetown University law professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow agrees. She says The Practice constantly deals with ethical problems, but the lawyers usually seem like morally upright professionals.

"Ally McBeal is like a giant cartoon," says Mary-Lou Galician, Ph.D., associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communications. "This [law] show talks about relationships rather than the legal skills you need to succeed."

Medical shows can help introduce people to health care careers. ER probably is the most realistic show. That's thanks to the program's creator, Michael Crichton, who is a physician himself. Still, it's far from perfect. For example, the show is not realistic when it comes to infection control. For invasive procedures such as a spinal tap, doctors would wear masks, full gowns, and gloves. A pre-med student who volunteered at his local emergency room discovered big differences. Instead of thrilling challenges, doctors often deal with repetitious duties, unpleasant people, and depressing situations.

Good Cop, Super Cop

Mother popular category of TV show is law enforcement. Programs such as NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and Third Watch are examples. Detectives and police officers shoot guns, rescue victims, and chase cars driven by suspects at high speeds. TV portrays police officers as daring and courageous crime fighters instead of practical problem solvers, says James Hendricks, a criminal justice professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. "These shows would not be on the airways long if they presented realistic portrayals." TV also staffs its fictitious police forces with more women than are usually found in actual police departments.

Nevertheless, Nelson Andrews got interested in law enforcement by watching the detective cartoon Scooby-Doo as a child. The show led to his earning a degree in criminal justice.

Network vs. Cable

The field of forensic medicine also suffers from hype. TV shows such as Profiler and Law and Order often portray forensic psychologists. But these TV professionals tend to deal with Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs) types, not ordinary criminals. Also, real FBI agents--unlike those on The X-Files--don't waste their time hunting for aliens or coming up with conspiracy theories. They're too busy tracking clues and examining evidence.

Shows such as Boston Public, a drama set in a large, urban school district, may not remind you of what a typical school day is like for you. But viewers take from it the notion that teachers are caring and committed to their students, nonetheless.

Viewers of The West Wing watch the White House speech writers, advisors, and press secretary engage in complicated political maneuvering each week, but the decency and competence of the characters and the president shine through.

These and other shows that depict positive role models can have an impact. Take Tim Taylor, for instance. "When I was young, I watched NOVA," says Taylor, a chemist for Dial Corporation. "It presented programs on physics and physical science. The featured scientists were strong role models who indicated the types of careers I might choose." Today, Taylor develops cleaning products.

Gable channels such as Animal Planet and The Discovery Channel show nature and science shows. They mention careers such as veterinarian, zoologist, animal trainer, animal behaviorist, and ichthyologist (someone who studies fish). Reptile expert Steve Irwin, who appears on Animal Planet, handles crocodiles and snakes. He entertains while presenting a wealth of information. The channel also airs an emergency vet show and animal rescue programs. Young people get to see nonprofit organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States in action. They also see the kinds of careers these organizations offer. Discovery Channel shows such as When Dinosaurs Roamed America, Inside the Space Station, and Living Pulse (on Discovery Health) provide positive images of scientists. And other cable channels that air criminal justice shows for middle school students can also trigger career interests. (Cable News Network and Court TV are examples.)