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Media's Negative Effects On Young Girls

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How the media negatively impacts young females
There is no doubt that the media powerfully influences modern society today. Whether it is television, magazines, celebrities or musicians, the world of pop culture creates role models for society to look up to, whether or not those influences are good or bad. The impact media and pop culture has on young girls also proves to be very significant, as young females are affected by wanting to be the ideal girl in the modern world, and fulfill those standards in order to feel happy about themselves. Articles such as Wonder Woman by Gloria Steinem, Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination by Deborah Ross, and The Globalization of Eating Disorders by Susan Bordo, all represent that …show more content…

This fantasy world in which children’s minds escape, gives young children the perception of what a hero is and what the stereotypical superhero appears to be. When you think of superheroes, you probably automatically think of Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Ironman. Notice how in each of those superheroes’ names is the word “man”. Young children are led to believe that the ideal superhero is exemplified through a strong, handsome man, able to save the human race and the world from evil. When young boys read these comic books or watch these cartoons, they can imagine themselves as the superhero saving the beautiful and vulnerable girl from an evil villain, and these boys can aspire to be a superhero one day in their own fantasy world. However, most young girls cannot do the same, and only have one superhero to look up to, which is Wonder Woman. The character of Wonder Woman was first introduced in the comic book world in 1941, and at first the identity of the creator of Wonder Woman had been kept secret due to the fear of people knowing that a man initially created this dominant female character. Dr. William Moulton came forward several years later in announcing he was the mastermind behind this strong and popular comic book hero, who still continues to be …show more content…

Gloria Steinem expresses her ideas and views on the character of Wonder Woman through her article Wonder Woman. Steinem is a credible source on the character of Wonder Woman, as she grew up being influenced by this comic book character, has written several articles on the topic of the superhero, and has appeared on PBS’s Independent Lens, in which she expresses her individual perspective on Wonder Woman. Steinem argues in Wonder Woman: “The problem is that the superheroes who perform magical feats—indeed, even moral heroes who are merely competent—are almost always men. A female child is left to believe that, even when her body is as big as her spirit, she will still be helping with minor tasks, appreciating the accomplishments of others, and waiting to be rescued,” (“Wonder Woman” 456). This argument expressed by Steinem exemplifies the common and most perceived role of a woman in a superhero comic, as men are usually perceived as being dominant and powerful, while woman are distinguished as being submissive and vulnerable. As Steinheim states, female children are left to think that they will not be able to accomplish such important tasks that Superman or Batman accomplish and therefore may feel less confident in themselves, may feel that they can be of

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