Programming with Science for Children

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El Heraldo de México

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Publicado: 7/10/2024 · 8:51 a.m. MX | Actualizado: 7/10/2024 · 8:51 a.m. MX

In Mexico, the proportion of animated characters that show an interest in areas related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) according to their gender is nearly equal: 48 percent girls and 52 percent boys. This was revealed by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) in its most recent “Special Report on the Representation of Girls and Teenage Women with Interests and Skills in STEM Areas that Appear in Children’s Fictional Content on Broadcast and Pay Television in Mexico.”

This report, presented by the Institute in June of this year, stems from the “Monitoring the Representation of Girls, Boys, and Teenagers in Fictional Children’s Content on Television,” which was published in April 2022. “We wanted to know how girls, boys, and teenagers are portrayed in content aimed at them,” said Bárbara Mancilla, Deputy Director of Children’s Content Monitoring at IFT, regarding the project.

The project involved the analysis of 21 television programs, mainly from the United States, as well as from France, Germany, Argentina, Canada, and Mexico. “The objective was to detect whether these television programs could promote interest in STEM areas among girls and teenage women who are part of the audiences that consume these programs,” Mancilla explained.

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“MEDIA INFLUENCES US REGARDLESS OF AGE AND OBVIOUSLY INFLUENCES CHILDREN WHO ARE GROWING, LEARNING, AND GAINING EXPERIENCE.”— BÁRBARA MANCILLA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S CONTENT MONITORING AT IFT.

Among the topics analyzed in these programs were the physical and sociodemographic characteristics assigned to female characters with interests in STEM, their personality traits, and their interests.

The goal was to identify whether the characters and messages in these programs could promote girls’ and teenagers’ interest in STEM careers. “More specifically, we wanted to see what could encourage girls and teenage women who watch these programs to lose their fear of STEM areas,” the expert pointed out.

In addition to the parity in the percentage of characters interested in STEM careers, the report also shows that 100 percent of female lead characters and 78 percent of women in secondary roles promote interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Furthermore, the analysis uncovered key findings: out of the 21 programs examined, 12 featured narratives that help break down gender stereotypes. However, one of the standout points for Bárbara Mancilla was that “64 percent of the characters analyzed could promote interest in STEM fields.

These characters were portrayed as skilled, confident in their abilities, and engaged in subjects such as marine biology, ecology, gastronomy, paleontology, technology use and development, laboratory projects, and mathematics. They were also depicted in leadership roles, with a very clear interest in STEM areas. Moreover, their male peers positively recognized their performances.”

• 21 programs were monitored
• 44 characters were studied
• 48% were female characters
• 53% were male characters

Información publicada originalmente en El Heraldo de México.

El Heraldo de México