Influences of media on people values and beliefs on relationships Done by: Colette Mitchell 11CM The media affects and influences a wide variety of people in regard to their relationships and causes people to look for certain characteristics in a possible partner or friend, and at the same time causes them to believe they must act a certain way for it to be seen as acceptable. The role of American-produced soap operas is big as it affects many teenagers beliefs of typical romantic relationships and what they should strive towards. For example, a popular TV series amongst many teenagers; The Vampire Diaries shows how the strong, good looking, athletic male, will typically date a conventionally attractive, slender, petite girl, which in turn shows how on average, ‘attractive’ people search for someone who more or less matches them. We often turn towards the media in order to determine what is acceptable or appropriate when it comes to relationships. A key feature in many teenage girls eyes is that a partner should be strong and have specific looks that attract that girl, but as they become adults, this usually changes as many women strive towards finding a man that will be able to support and care for a family. The ‘perfect’ relationship is always shown on various media platforms, which causes people to be influenced and start doing certain things or acting in a specific way in order for themselves to achieve that type of relationship that is seen as normal. Vampire Diaries