Racist characters from Disney films like Fantasia, Peter Pan, and Aladdin. (Photo credit: Disney)
When the media keeps showing stereotypes, like TV shows about Black gangs or making people of color seem sassy, villainous, or just side characters, it can be harmful. This is especially true when there are few real, authentic stories being told.
Seeing negative portrayals over and over can cause psychological stress. This stress can hurt people’s health, even if they are usually strong and resilient.
This ongoing stress is called weathering.
Sociologist Dr. Arline Geronimus discovered that people of color, especially Black people, face faster physical and mental decline because of racism. She named this process “weathering.”
Dr. Arline Geronimus (Photo credit: Arline Geronimus)
“Weathering” explains how oppression and being pushed to the margins can wear down the body. This makes people more likely to get diseases and chronic conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
People who go through weathering deal with big barriers in society, but they keep moving forward despite these challenges.
Microaggressions, institutional racism, and discrimination all add to weathering. Media representation is another big factor, but it often gets overlooked.
TV and news often repeat racial stereotypes by linking people of color to negative traits like being criminals or lazy. Studies show that white viewers can start to believe these biases, which keeps the harmful stereotypes alive.
These beliefs can cause negative feelings and make people less willing to support the rights of minorities.
When the media spreads stereotypes, people of color can feel unsupported. This raises racial stress and makes health problems from weathering even worse.
Racist images from animation’s past, such as “Coal Black an de Sebben Dwarfs,” Disney’s Peter Pan and Aladdin, a 1940s “Little Indian” comic strip, and the Looney Tunes short “Mexican Joyride.” (Photo credits: Disney, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Warner Bros., toonarific.com, Powowtimes.ca)
Researchers call this ongoing stress “social devaluation.” Trying to keep your self-esteem up while facing this pressure can be emotionally exhausting.
A 2020 study by B. Locke Welborn, Youngki Hong, and Kyle G. Ratner found that when Mexican-American participants saw racist media, it affected how they thought and could lead to depression. Scholars.org also says that watching a lot of TV lowered self-esteem in Black children, but raised it in white boys. Seeing Native American mascots also lowered self-esteem for Native American youth.
A 2026 study by Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes, Ivy Smith, and Marlena Debreaux explored how racial violence affects Black women. They found that women with fewer coping skills suffered more trauma, especially when exposed through social media. Some coping strategies, like holding back emotions, might help people recover, but it is not clear what the long-term effects are.
A 2022 study by Mary L. Woody, Elizabeth C. Bell, Nicolas A. Cruz, Anna Wears, Riana E. Anderson, and Rebecca B. Price found that adolescents of color faced racism every day in news and social media, which made them feel helpless and stressed. Many turned to family, friends, and activities for support. Adults said that constant exposure to racism hurt their health the most.
When the media covers violence against people of color, like police killings or immigrant detentions, it can seriously damage mental health.
Media-induced weathering could get better if the industry looks at racial bias in reporting and storytelling, hires more people of color both on screen and behind the scenes, and supports creators of color and their work. But that still leaves the question of what regular viewers can do.
You can take charge by questioning what you see in the media. (Photo credit: Canva)
You can take charge by questioning what you see in the media. The National Communications Association says that “media literacy training and stereotype reduction interventions could encourage viewers to reflect on the ways in which media messages shape their political beliefs and opinions.”
If you want to learn more about media literacy, you can download my free e-booklet, The First 5: Five Thought-Provoking Media Literacy Starter Questions.
