The Media 's Influence On Girl 's Self Image

The female body image is highly influenced by the mass media and the media’s portrayal of women, ‘70% of college women say they feel worse about their own looks after reading women’s magazines’ (University of Massachusetts & Stanford University, 2006), the portrayal of women in the media has an unrealistic approach and brings out body dissatisfactions and this results in eating problems and disorders.

The largest forms of media we encounter in our daily lives are the advertisements and commercials we see on TV, the Internet and in magazines. One of the key strategies used to reinforce the feminine image is to depict every woman to be “thin.” This strategy is used all over the media and this depiction of “women should be thin” is negative. For example, “Seventeen” magazine, Pretty Little Liars star Troian Bellisario is featured on the cover captioning, “Get an insane body – It’s hard, but you’ll look hot.” This idea that the media is portraying to all women and girls is publicized wrongly. Everyone thinks that being thin is hot and if you are not thin, you don’t belong to society. However, this happens because women and girls are too taken away by getting slim,

“To be happy and successful, you must be thin,” is a message women are given at a very young age (Society and Eating Disorders). In fact, eating disorders are still continuously growing because of the value society places on being thin. There are many influences in society that pressures females to strive for the “ideal” figure. According to Sheldon’s research on, “Pressure to be Perfect: Influences on College Students’ Body Esteem,” the ideal figure of an average female portrayed in the media is 5’11” and 120 pounds. In reality, the average American woman weighs 140 pounds at 5’4”. The societal pressures come from television shows, diet commercials, social media, peers, magazines and models. However, most females do not take into account of the beauty photo-shop and airbrushing. This ongoing issue is to always be a concern because of the increase in eating disorders.

Therefore, the commendation of such look and shape commercializes unhealthy body image and procreates eating disorders. Unfortunately, at present the commercialism of a perfect body is encountered by almost everyone on everyday basis. The public is bombarded daily with images of glamorously thin women in commercials, on billboards, in movies in magazines and etc?According to Melanie Katzman, a consultant psychologist from New York, the media has actively defined the thin ideal as success and treats the body as a commodity. (Rhona MacDonald, 2001) It is evident that the persistent advocating of the media and the society produced a constant pursuit of thinness, which became a new religion. A study conducted by Harvard researchers has revealed the effect of media and magazines on adolescent girls in high schools. The children were exposed to fashion magazines and television commercials, and a while after were given self-rating surveys. The study found that sixty-nine percent of the girls said that magazine pictures

Women’s magazines are a form of print media that formulates and shapes the the portrayal of femininity in society. In promoting femininity, women’s magazines do not simply reflect the role of women in society; rather, magazines supply their own definition of femininity (Hesse-Biber 43-44). Magazines bombard females with images and societal pressures about body image. Magazines present adolescent girls with extremely slim pictures of women and belittle women who are not slender (Grogan 110). In 2002, the US National Eating Disorders Association noted that the average US model was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 117 pounds, while the average US women weighed 140 pounds and was 5 feet 4 inches tall. Psychologist Linda Smolak found that “fashion models in the 2000’s were thinner than 98 percent of US women” (108). The portrayal of slender fashion models within magazines sets an unrealistic beauty standard for young women. In Vogue and the Ladies Home journal, the average bust-to-waist ratio of female models presented within the magazines has followed a significant decline (Hesse-Biber 69). Magazines are following a thin-ward progression in female body-shape ideals that is detrimental to women’s health. Journalists on the women’s page of the Guardian have agreed that “anorexia is powerfully fuelled by media images’ because women measure themselves against the ideal images captured on camera and distributed in the fashion and beauty magazines” (73). In 1999, A survey of 550 working class girls from the ages of 11 to 19 was conducted. 70% of the females surveyed reported pictures in magazines have altered their view of the ideal body shape. 45% of the women reported a motivation to lose weight (Levine 27). Magazines have assaulted women with images that portray unrealistic standards of beauty. The idealistic images presented within magazines have prevented many

Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women, and their bodies, sell everything from food to cars. Women's magazines are full of articles urging women to fit a certain mold. While standing in a grocery store line you can see all different magazines promoting fashion, weight loss, and the latest diet. Although the magazines differ, they all seemingly convey the same idea: if you have the perfect body image you can have it all…the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. The media, whether TV, print, or Internet advertising, seems to play a huge role in influencing women of all ages; from adolescence and teens, to women in their twenties and thirties, as well as

As girls begin to hit puberty, their bodies start to change. Their bodies will gain fat and move away from this ideal thin body image (Kerr 2010). In a study done by Clay, Vignoles and Dittmar they showed three groups of adolescent girls magazine images. Two groups viewed magazine covers with female models who were somewhere between underweight or a little below average weight, while the third group viewed magazine covers with inanimate objects. The researchers found that the first two groups resulted in a less likely report of body satisfaction and self-esteem than the third group (2005). This demonstrates that when adolescent girls are exposed to the media’s thinness they feel like their size and shape is not good enough.

By altering weight and removing any physical imperfections, eating disorders have sparked, creating a false image in young adults brains. In spite of this, starving and purging to have become increasingly familiar. In fact, “The National Association for Anorexia Nervosa reports data from a number of studies showing that 47 percent of middle-school and high-school girls want to lose weight because of images in magazines, while 69 percent admit magazine ads affect their perception of the ideal body shape”. Advertisements, the media, and corporations are creating a perception amongst consumers that it is possible to have the same physical appearance and

The media negatively affects the self-esteem and body image of young girls. The media is known for broadcasting thin models and not taking into consideration the affect that it could have on millions of young women. When young girls see thin models that they aspire to be on TV increases their concerns about their bodies and that causes young girls to develop eating disorders, such as excessive dieting, bulimia and anorexia. It is very vital for every young girl to feel comfortable in her own skin and not be influenced by what the media portrays. These young women should not let the media, such as advertisements, cartoons, magazines, movies, and TV shows define their definition of beauty based on what society says.

2.) It is unsure of what causes eating disorders, but it is suspected that psychological, genetic, social, and family factors are thought to be a cause. Eating disorders can be prevented by constantly saying "I'm fat," complain about exercise, and practice "yo-yo" dieting. This might make your kids feel like a distorted body image is normal and acceptable.

Mass media affects women’s body image in many ways. “Media images of ridiculously thin women are everywhere- television shows, movies, popular magazines” (Farrar). Starting at a very young age, girls are exposed to media suggestions about what the “ideal” female body image should be. “Concern over weight and appearance related issues often surface early in females’ development, and continues throughout the lifespan” (Serdar).

The hyper-sexualization of women is beginning to start disturbingly young. Young girls are becoming increasingly aware of their body image through the image of models in advertising and image-centered ideals portrayed in the media. Researchers have proven that advertising and media all do indeed have negative influences on young girls’ self-esteem, body image and ideas of self worth. Unfortunately, this constant consciousness is pushing young girls to seek unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders. At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder, just in the United States.

Today’s generation has been greatly impacted by the media through celebrities set as constant reminders of how everyone must follow in their footsteps. Many teens actually feel shame to these flawless celebrities which often leads to depression, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia (“AboutKidsHealth”). Even teen magazines pressure girls, young and old, to diet constantly. Many teens use runway twig-thick models as “thinspirations” (Hendrick). “60% of girls that diet, one in five develop and eating disorder” which means dieting, a result of negative body image, is convincing people to choose harm over health and fall into anorexia, bulimia, etc. (Hendrick). Even men are developing eating disorders although it is less than women (Derenne). Not only are people dieting and developing eating

Teenage and college women are overly obsessing about their body images and constantly think that they need to be much skinnier, when they are not even fat. Many women today have the wrong idea of what the perfect body is, since there is no such thing as a perfect body. Every person is different and there can be no “perfect”. Being skinny is not the thing to strive for, but rather being healthy is. In this decade, women are constantly looking at models, T.V. shows and Instagram photos of girls that are stick-thin, or just very skinny, and they think that this is the way we as women in society must look. The problem is by excessively looking at these photos or T.V. shows, women become self-conscious, obsessive, unhealthy and simply unhappy.

“These can include any of the following; family environment, ability or disability, and peer attitudes”. (Raising Children Association, 2006)This reason is a logical source that is medically proven by health professionals that work with Eating Disorders and Mentally Disabled patients. There are statistics to prove the accusations, “such as professional research that have be run by universities and hospitals to use for data information, so they could improve the statistics”. (Eating Disorder Hope )For example, “Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of any mental health disorder. Even more than extreme depression”. This statement shows how dangerous and Eating Disorder can be, and it explains that there isn’t a reason to why this illness happens. It’s an illness that picks its victims, and sometimes there isn’t any known reason why a person develops an Eating Disorder. Teenagers always out trying to find excuses for why they’ve had a tough life and the media is a common excuse that is