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Stereotyping of teenagers 'hitting job prospects'

False stereotyping of young people by the media is hindering their self-esteem and damaging their chances of finding a job, according to a new report from think tank Demos.

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Media 'contributes' to lack of motivation in under-25s

Negative media stereotyping of under-25s contributes to low motivation among teenagers, Femi Santiago said. Credit: Daybreak/ITV

Negative stereotypes of young people in the media does contribute towards low self-esteem and a defeatist attitude, a youth worker told Daybreak.

Femi Santiago, who is also a contestant on the Voice, said he a lot of under-25s he was trying to help get on their feet were "pretty demotivated".

27-year-old Femi was himself homeless and depressed at the age of 19, and said: "I would say the media partly contributes to that, but it is not in its entirety.

"There are other issues that contribute to that issue. I would say that I wouldn't be doing my job or need to my job if young people weren't affected by those issues."

Teenagers 'do not rely on politicians to solve problems'

Teenagers would not think of approaching their politician to help get them into work or solve a problem, a report has found.

Jonathan Birdwell of Demos said teenagers were relying on their local council and Parliament less and less:

Teenagers are motivated to make a difference in their community but the approach they take is radically different to previous generations.

They do not rely on politicians and others to solve the world's problems, but instead roll up their sleeves and power up their laptop and smartphone to get things done through crowd-sourced collaboration.

They value bottom-up social action over top-down politics, and social enterprise over Government bureaucracy.

– Jonathan Birdwell

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'80%' of young people feel unfairly treated by media

Some four out of five teenagers feel unfairly represented by the media, which damages their self-esteem and chances of getting into work, according to new research.

Teenagers worry they will not be able to land a job because of the way they are portrayed by the media. Credit: PA

Over two out of every five 14 to 17-year-olds quizzed as part of a poll by think tank Demos said unemployment was their biggest problem, with 85% believing false stereotypes were hitting their job prospects.

Many of those questioned said they would not turn to their local MP to resolve issues in their local community, revealing a belief that traditional politics was not the most effective way of dealing with concerns.

Read: Unemployed under-25s face 'devastating' mental illness

Read: PM to unveil apprenticeships

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