Body Image Media Influence

In the article, “The Negative Effects of the Media on Body Image” by Esther Vargas, there were several issues discussed about the negative effects that media has on body image in society. Many girls

There are no questions to whether the media has influenced the self-consciousness people have on their body or not. Whether it is the front of a magazine cover or in a film or television show, the selection of models or actors are primarily thin or fit leading readers and viewers to worry or want to change the way their body looks. Body image is the way one sees oneself and imagine how one looks. Having a positive body image means that most of the time someone sees themselves accurately, and feels comfortable in their body; negative body image, what the media exemplifies for the majority of the time, is just the opposite. The media uses unrealistic standards of beauty and bodily perfection to drive ordinary people to be dissatisfied with their body image which can result in the search to obtain these unreachable goals.

A body image is a subjective combination of all the thoughts, emotions, and judgments that an individual may perceive about his or her own body. Each individual has a unique perception of his or her own body. This image is strongly influenced and often times skewed due to the increasing pressure created from outside, societal factors. With a world that is continuously creating new forms of social media and entertainment, individuals are constantly exposed to images that supposedly define bodily perfection and are then expected to resemble these images in order to fit in and/or please society. The expectations that have been put in place by society has created unwanted pressure on individuals who feel as if they need to resemble these images to get society’s approval.

Body image is how a person feels about their physical appearance. Someone with a negative body image has a distorted view of his or her body and often feels shame, anxiety and are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and depression. People with a poor body image have a greater chance of developing an eating disorder. Which then can lead to drastic changes of their bodies using dangerous methods such as plastic surgeries and severe eating disorders in order to meet societal ideals. Today people feel that present ideals are pressuring them to conform, in any way possible to get the ideal body, these pressures cause body dissatisfaction and self-esteem issues.The media is causing body image issues due to the lack of diversity and realistic body representation, when exposed to western media young people are more likely to have eating disorders, participate in fad diets, or drastically change their bodies with plastic surgeries.

America is obsessed with body image. In today’s world, you can't go through the day without seeing the television, advertisements, magazines, or really any type of media portraying women's bodies. Due to the immense societal pressure that women should have the “perfect body” to be accepted, the nonstop reminders to change what they look like, struggling with body image has now become a major social phenomenon- and it's time for women to challenge that narrative. Women of all ages are facing face increasing scrutinization over their body image through media influence leading to invasive surgeries, increased depression, and eating disorders.

They believe they allow men and women to set target goals, and are motivational images. How can images of models that cause a decline in self-acceptance and overall confidence be positive? They answer is, they can’t be positive. The media is wrongly sending out a message that this is an acceptable way to look, yet it isn’t. Sadly by the age of 10, almost half of girls have tried to lose weight after seeing images of women in magazines. This shocking statistic clearly demonstrates that the Medias images aren’t going unnoticed and are having a direct effect on our younger generation. These images only do one thing, they alter society’s mind, making them believe beauty is skin deep. It is an unacceptable use of power on the Medias

One of the greatest, yet unseen, global issues of today is how the media impacts people. It can impact them both positively and negatively, but usually ends up affecting them negatively. This goes for all races, all genders, and all ages, but something that has recently been brought to the attention of many is how it affects women specifically and how they see themselves. Media negatively affects female body image by creating a type of "ideal image," by constantly flaunting this image on influential celebrities, and encouraging/offering body alterations/enhancements. The world has basically created a type of "ideal image" that women are expected to have.

There are many negative and positive influences that media has on people. For example a negative thing is that the entertainment industry often pressures celebrities, especially actresses to look thin. Since some people look to celebrities as role models, this can have a severe impact on societal perceptions of body image. Some celebrities maintain their body images through extreme measures, including plastic surgery and eating disorders. Though celebrities do not directly cause people to seek out these extreme measures, the National Eating Disorder Association says that the media impacts the ways people define ideas of body image. A positive influence media can have is that many environmentally conscience topics, such as global warming, have

We are constantly affected by the media and sometimes even unconsciously. For example, as athletes, we mostly have more muscular bodies than normal people. But everyday, we see the way models or celebrities look through social media and this influence our perception of our body image. We want to have skinnier legs or less muscle in our arms. Because now days this is what we see as normal and beautiful. That is why we are curious of how the commercials or magazines influence our thoughts and our ideal body image.

Research Article - The Media’s Negative Influence on Body Image For People of Different Ages and Genders

How does body image affect a person’s well-being? A person’s body image is “how [they] view [their] physical self” (TeensHealth, 2015), including thoughts, emotions, behaviour and attitude towards the perceived mental image of their body. Having countless women become obsessed with their body and how it appears to themselves and others is unnerving. With all the various sources of distorted media, it is easy for people of all ages to develop a negative body image, which can lead to unhealthy and impossible standards. Self-harm, anorexia, and bulimia are just a few of the potential negative consequences.

The way people behave and think is the final product of socialization. From birth we are moulded to become the person we are today and therefore the sexualisation and objectification of women through modern media has a subsequent impact on female body image. This is especially insidious because of the media’s ability to create culture rather than reflect it.

What You See Isn’t Always What You Get : Media’s Impact on Society’s Body Image

All though many people may be ones with a positive body image very few can pick up a magazine r watch a commercial and say they don't wish to be that person or have the body of them. Or comparing themselves at all and not feeling a want. People with a negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder. Also are more likely to suffer from depression, isolation, and self esteem. With these factors people become obsessed with weight loss and the idea of a “perfect body.” Over half of teenage girls and a third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives according to national association of anorexia nervosa and associated diseases. Everyday people diet because they want to be skinnier or prettier, but as long as you're happy and healthy you don't need to do

What is your body image? Body image is how people within society picture themselves and how they think other people picture them. Moreover, it is discovered that within society, people too fixated on their own appearance. Furthermore, body image today is seen differently, than what it was interpreted and seen as years ago. With that, people are engrossed with the idea that, in order to obtain the ‘perfect body’, they must conform to society's expectations through; social media, magazines, models, and the media. Due to the influence that media have on society, people are becoming more self-conscious about the way they look and are constantly searching for ways to improve their physical appearance. However, the media simultaneously shape us in