Do People Use Stereotypes?

Shawn N
Professor N
Research
11/25/2013
Discussion – Stereotypes Although some people believe that they do not use stereotypes to describe people or even think of others differently, that is false. In this generation, stereotypes are everywhere and are almost impossible to not be affected by them. The true definition of the word ‘stereotype,’ is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Stereotypes can be applied to just about anything; ranging from age, gender, media, social, racial, and even class. These are just a few areas that can be stereotyped. Regardless of what anyone says or tries to do, stereotypes are unavoidable; they are used to categorize just about everything and
Within today’s society, just about everything has a certain stereotype, if not multiple stereotypes about it. Stereotypes are created towards music, grades, how one dresses, tattoos, piercings, and so much more. While music is one of the most important things to many people, others will change the way they think about someone based on what music they listen to. Some people will even avoid someone completely just because of the music that they choose to listen to. For example, a group of people who like to listen to rap music might avoid being with a person who enjoys jazz. Also, society deals with people having tattoos as such a negative thing; regardless of what the tattoo stands for or is about. Someone who might be saving lives as a doctor who has tattoos can be viewed as a negative person just for the fact that he or she has tattoos. This has to be one of the most unfair, ridiculous stereotypes that our society has come up with. What one person would like to make permanent on their own body should not matter to other people especially if it is not offensive in any way. Some people will get tattoos for loved ones who passed away, but somehow in other people’s eyes doing so is very wrong and the person should be judged as a negative human. Some people will even go as far as think of someone with tattoos as a criminal. As for piercings, it is almost the same way about tattoos, but there is some leeway with piercings. Society thinks it is alright for humans to get piercings, but once someone wants to make those piercings into gauges, everything about it is wrong. A gauge is simply a larger piercing. To make a gauge, one needs to get their ear pierced and then once it heals, they simply stretch the healed piercing making it a larger hole. Somehow this is also viewed negatively and therefore, people with gauges are viewed as bad people. It is actually