Media s Ideal Body Image - 1804 Words

Media’s â€Å"Ideal Body Image† Magazines, commercials, social media, TV shows, movies, and runways, among other outlets, all contribute to constructing the ideal image of what a â€Å"perfect girl† is supposed to look like. But what exactly is perfection? How can someone possibly define such a dynamic characteristic? These portrayed images of â€Å"perfection† set out by media affect the self- esteem of teenage girls, crate cases of eating disorders, and often create cases of bullying. The media should eliminate the idea of â€Å"perfection†, and allow their audiences to witness the truth behind beauty. A teenager’s life revolves around media. According to a recent study conducted by Pew Research Center, this statement claims to stand true. â€Å"Aided by the†¦show more content†¦For years, media has been spoon-feeding girls with the idea that they can only be beautiful if they have a certain set of qualities. Qualities like healthy hair, clear skin, full lips, perky breasts, long legs, curvy hips, and oversized rears. What is behind the reason that so many teenage girls are unhappy with themselves? Why do many of these girls have a desire to fulfill the given stencil of a â€Å"perfect† girl? Because of the way American media defines and advertises beauty. As most people have noticed, most models and celebrities in the media share many physical characteristics, and many teenagers feel pressured to have bodies like they do in order to feel important. They believe that the bodies of these models are the most ideal bodies, since they are seen and admired everywhere and anywhere they look, and thus desire to resemble them. With these depicted images and the struggle that come with trying to imitate them comes issues. Issues like self-esteem, eating disorders, and even bullying. Teenage girls in our society are constantly entitled to act, look, and feel a certain way. The pressures that are placed on these girls, to meet a certain standard, often create a sense of failure when such standards aren’t met. â€Å"Self-esteem is a widely-used concept both in popular language and in psychology. It refers to an individual s sense of his or her value or worth, or the extent to which a person values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likesShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders : The Media s Ideal Body Image1861 Words   |  8 PagesPeople are often exposed to the media s ideal body image, whether it s through magazines, television, toys (e.g. Barbie dolls), or social media, it is almost impossible to avoid it. There are numerous of people who desire to look the way the world defines beauty. And although this may not seem like so much of a bad thing, this can lead to hardships for many people. This type of influence has caused countless individuals to endure an eating disorder in order to get the body they wish to have. Eating disordersRead MoreSocial Media s Ideal Body Image For Woman1524 Words   |  7 Pagesand â€Å"womanly† (Merriam Webster/Femininity). When images for â€Å"femi ninity† are researched, most depict beautiful, perfectly made up, extremely skinny women wearing pink clothing with long, flowing hair. This photo description is social media’s ideal body image for woman. Because of this, sixty nine percent of girls in fifth through twelfth grade reported that pictures on certain types of social media influenced their perception of the ideal body image and forty seven percent of girls in that same ageRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Body Image1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe concept of body image is influenced by external factors as culture, society norms, especially with the development of modern social media, it has grown up to be an important element in affecting the perception of body image to shape the body image. The influence of mass media may be related to the social comparison process of appearance in female and male. The ideal media body image, it is easy to compare in everyday life, and that will result to dissatisfaction with people s body size. On theRead MoreThe Advertising Of Diet Plans And Supplements Essay1702 Words   |  7 PagesToday s society is constantly presented with misrepresentations of the ideal body image through the advertising of diet plans and supplements. Companies in the fitness industry scam people into buying useless products or services by advertising with individuals that have, what the mass media sees as, the perfect body composition. In addition to getting consumers to buy into a product or service, these companies also aid society with the spreading of this fake idea of what classifies as theRead MoreHow Media Influence Has Increased Dramatically Over The Past Three Decades1069 Words   |  5 PagesBeautiful Inside and Out â€Å"Healthy body image is not something that you re going to learn from fashion magazines,† (Shapiro) said Erin Heatherton, a Victoria Secret’s model since 2008. Media influence has increased considerably over the past three decades, whether it’s been through television, social media, or tabloids. The number of televisions has also increased in America since the 1950’s and most American have access to a television. Consequently, the images and attitudes are portrayed to theRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Women1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe way the media portrays the female gender is far from realistic, and consequently, the pressure to put your ‘best’ self forward has never been more prevalent. Each time I see a model on the cover of a magazine, or even a slightly altered photo, I find myself making comparisons. Unfortunately, even knowing that most cover images are digitally altered, the question of how my own body measures up still haun ts me. Since the average American female will collect over 250,000 persuasive media messages byRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Image1453 Words   |  6 Pagestoday that media and body image are closely related. Particularly, how the body image advertising portrays effects our own body image. It has been documented in adolescents as they are more at risk for developing unhealthy attitudes toward their bodies. They are at a time where they re focused on developing their individual identities, making them susceptible to social pressure and media images. A major reason many people have a negative body image is because of the impact that media has had onRead MoreAnalysis Of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs 1179 Words   |  5 Pagesand television are employed in their every day lives . From these new technologies, Americans can connect with the media and they are constantly attacked by the messages of the media. A superior message the media is depicting is ultra-thin as a refer ence point of beauty. Everyday an abundance of women are bombarded with the media s concept and interpretation of the flawless body. The photos being represented in popular magazines typically issued for women all over the country are impracticalRead MoreSocial Media Has a Negative Effect on Body Image and Self Esteem1202 Words   |  5 PagesSocial media has become one of the most popular sources of communication for the upcoming generation. For young people growing up in today’s society, social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have provided pictures and news that have become the first thing that their eyes see in the morning and the last thing that they see before bed. These pictures have provided unrealistic standards as to what is considered beautiful in today’s society. As young people refer to these images as aRead MoreTodays Unrealistic Body Expectations1311 Words   |  5 Pagesmeasures, most of the time, spending countless hours in the gym trying to achieve that perfect body. Body image is evident in the gym, as the men are lifting weights they are frequently looking in the mirror examining every angle of their body making sure no area is lacking muscle. On the other hand, women tend to partake in the same behavior as men, showing a sense of insecurity about their own bodies, frequently making trips to the scale to keep track of their weight making sure to stay slim and