In the 21st century and throughout history individuals and groups have been affected by sociocultural contexts. The mass media probably has one of the biggest effects on culture. Through television, magazines and movies, what is in, out, cool and not cool is all portrayed.
             Adolescents are most directly affected by what our culture has become. From the moment of birth there are stereotypes placed on a child, if it's a baby boy, his things will be blue, and for a baby girl blankets and clothes will be pink. A little boy will play with cars, trucks and action figures, and a little girl will play dress up, house and with Barbie's and dolls. These stereo types are often portrayed in the media, although in the 21st century there have been some changes, for example female television characters are now more often seen in nontraditional roles, such as a police officer, doctor or lawyer, but the behavior of these characters will most often follow sex-typed patterns. Males being more aggressive, independent and action oriented, whereas females are more passive and obedient.
             The way a child thinks is also molded by society. In the early 1900's a mother taught her daughter to churn butter and weave clothing by the time she hit puberty. (Meece,153) Today this is almost unheard of. Today, computers are introduced to children, they are present in homes and schools everywhere and these computers will in some ways affect a child's social and cognitive development.(Meece,153)
             During adolescence physical changes begin to occur and boys and girls go through puberty. Girls begin usually at age 10-12 and boys 12-14. (Meece,57) At this stage height and weight of children of the same age varies. Due to the constant emphasis on being thin many children develop eating disorders. In our culture thin is thought of as beautiful, and it is very common for girls especially to develop an eating disorder(Meece,59) .
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