...The Media’s Effect on Women’s Body Image Women and young girls are obsessively trying to alter their appearance just to look like the perfect body images we see in movies and magazines. What is body image? Body image is how people picture themselves and how they think other people picture them. It is basically how you feel about your body, and it includes your imagination, emotions, and perception. Images portrayed by the media tend to make people strive to be someone else's idea of perfect, while ignoring their own goals. The media influences us through television, health magazines, fashion, music videos, film, commercials, and various other advertisements. Sadly, as a result, this frequent exposure, the "thin" ideal, can lead many young girls in triggering depression, stress, low self-esteem, and suicide. The media's ideal body image has led to wide-ranging effects including, surgical procedures, body dissatisfaction, and clinical eating disorders. In “Body Image of Women” by Tabitha Farrar, she points out that the “thin-ideal media” concept highlights thinness as a desirable thing to be even if it comes to the point of damaging a person’s health. Farrar indicated that marketers will do anything that they can to sell a product and make a profit. She also mentioned that poor body image can lead to depression, anxiety, problems in relationships, unhappiness, and various health problems. Farrar suggested that people can focus on their good qualities, work with self-esteem...
Words: 896 - Pages: 4
...Images of the unobtainable thin body can be seen anywhere. The media has many different outlets; television, movies, magazines billboards, and the internet. I myself can attest to watching television and thinking why isn’t my body like that. I know what it feels like to not feel beautiful because the image of beauty that the media portrays is the complete opposite of myself. The media portrays tall and thin as the “ideal” image of beauty. The National Eating Disorder Association (2012) reports that the media and its portrayal of beauty is acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders. In our culture, the media portrays tall and thin as the ideal image of beauty. Magazines, television , movies, commercials, and more portray attractive women as being extremely thin. It is nearly impossible to escape the influence of the media and children today are being exposed to these portrayals earlier and earlier in life. Since we have immediate access to all sorts of media, could the constant reminder of the “ideal” body type cause a negative body image and low self-esteem? Body image as defined by Dina L.G. Borzekowski and Angela M. Bayer is “the internal representation of one's own outer appearance which reflects physical and perceptual dimensions.”(Borzekowski & Bayer, 2005) They also state that body image is closely related to self-esteem and self-concept. During one’s juvenile years, poor body image is especially harmful, because all of the rapid...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Jennifer Archuleta Professor Musgrave English 205 December 13, 2011 The Effects of Media on Body Image Imagine growing up in a modern day society. Everywhere you look there are images of beauty, representations of how beautiful people are supposed to look; flawless and thin. You grow up believing that this unattainable image is the only image of beauty. As you look in the mirror and see only flaws in your reflection, you rack your brain of ways to make yourself more beautiful. This becomes your obsession. Your dream is to become a model, but in the very start of your career, a fashion agent tells you that you will have to lose ten pounds in order to find work. This was the beginning of the end for former model and actress Isabelle Caro, just one of the many women affected by the media industry and the negative effects it has on body image. With Isabelle’s obsession to be thin, she battled with anorexia until it ended her life at the young age of twenty seven. In modern culture, a great deal of importance is placed on our looks and body image. This is portrayed by the media through magazine pictures, television advertisements, billboards, and the influence of models and actresses. Although the media affects both men and women, I will be showing how it specifically affects the behaviors, viewpoints, and attitudes of women. The media portrays a beautiful woman as being someone who is thin and flawless. Photographs of models that are posted in magazines are brushed-up, touched-up...
Words: 2449 - Pages: 10
...about something I have experienced and felt the effect of and until now I’m trying to heel from . I’m not a former patient of cancer but I believe that I’m on of media victims. Of course there are a lot of positive and negative effects of media. And most of times media affect us in subconsciously way and it can change our thoughts, believes, attitudes actually it affects us deeply Of course we all know what is media and every one of us expose every day for different kind of media whether it’s a commercials o billboards o magazines all this media influence people and it has some positive effects like making us aware of what is happening around us also a lot of commercials are to help people who are homeless, or live their lives in poverty . But on the other hand one of the common negative effect of media would be the body image . a lot of commercials s. seem harmless , but actually , they are one of the main reasons the most people don’t feel comfortable with the way they look . Teenagers and women generally tend to be affected by commercials which show the models as the skinniest person on the earth wearing a fake smile look happy. so when women and teenagers see this images they say okay she is happy she is skinny so in order to be happy and feel wanted I must be like her while the models actually are not happy as they seems to be . A majority of the models shown on television and advertisement are bellow what considered healthy body weight. The standards of beauty and ideal weight...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
...use of unrealistic body image? B. Importance of Ethical Issue The media and advertisers often use physical attractiveness and sexuality in an effort to sell their products, service, etc. Through media, companies have a more convenient way of reaching an audience but they do not have any control on how would people interpret the message that they are sending. Media has an overpowering effect on the way people see themselves and their body. It has created the way people see an ideal physical appearance, which emphasises the shape and size of a man and/or woman (Diedrichs, Lewis-Smith & Paraskeva 2015). There was a study conducted by Australian Institute of Family Studies which surveyed 4,000 children. The study found out that more than half of the children from ages 8 to 11 years old wanted a slimmer body rather than an average one (Wilson 2014). There was also a study done by the King’s college London and Harvard, suggests that some children develop early body dissatisfaction due to the pressure received from media, family and peers (Fleig 2015). Another survey conducted by the Today Show and AOL.com discovered that 80% of teen girls compare themselves to celebrities and say that the images that they see make them feel displeased with their body (Common Sense Media 2015). This is alarming because children as young as 8 years old should not have to worry about how pleasing their body looks. Media exposure affects how children perceive their bodies and they can carry these...
Words: 983 - Pages: 4
...To Be or Not to Be: The Male Body Image In his article, “The Man Behind the Mask: Male Body Image Dissatisfaction,” Steven Gregor states that in the past, body image was thought to be a concern that affected only females resulting in negative consequences on their psychological welfare. For a long time, due to body image dissatisfaction, women have suffered from illnesses such as eating disorders and depression. Until recently, men weren’t believed to have concerns with body image dissatisfaction. However, research shows that not only is body image a growing concern for men, but it affects a larger number of males than previously thought. Throughout history men were seen in society as being strong through security and being defined by their jobs. This no longer holds true for males today. With men and women being nearly equal in the job market today, men feel that to distinguish themselves from women they need to exhibit their strength through physical strength. Men’s body image dissatisfaction has greatly increased over the past 25 years, and like women, it is having a negative effect on their psychological welfare. Cosmetic and grooming productions were at one time thought to be more of a female based industry. In today’s society along with the help of the media, we are seeing a rise in the production of cosmetic and grooming among males. As with the ideal female body image, the media supports what it sees as the ideal male body. Women want to lose their wait to...
Words: 434 - Pages: 2
...Thesis: Although accepting more normal body types has become a recent trend, mass media continues to create negative effects on American body image by escalating body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and excessive preoccupation with appearance. Body Dissatisfaction T: The thin-ideal portrayed as beautiful is unattainable and by comparing, women experience discontent with their body size and shape ranging in degrees of seriousness. a. College-age women who viewed models had lower body self-esteem (source 2 P 5) b. Even when people know its not real, they still compare and feel inferior (source 1 P10, source 6 P 3) c. Women with bigger self esteem are less effected by the images, while those with low self-esteem and body disturbance compare themselves more. (source 3) (source 1 P 7 moderators) a. With American women larger than ever, more extreme measures have to be taken to reach the thin ideal, which is smaller than ever. (Source 1 P 2) b. Discrepancies in comparison lead to unpleasant emotions which lead to the misuse and abuse of food. (Source 1 P6) c. Models have collapsed because of eating disorders and health inquiries have begun and measures taken (Source 1 P 2) C: Health is threatened and self-esteem plummets when body hatred encouraged by media images drives a person to abnormal eating behaviors. (source 4) Excessive Preoccupation with Appearance T: Dieting and exercising and a desire to lose weight is considered normal for American...
Words: 371 - Pages: 2
...problem. The problem that is chosen must be the problem that motivates the researcher to address it and support in many perspectives. The good problem statement also can be developing by choosing the topic research which is researchable. This is to make sure that the researcher will not find in the midst of investigating a complex research project. The researcher also should choose a right research topic to make sure that research problems can be the supported by the resources available. 2. Problem statement Body dissatisfaction is the top ranked issue of concern for young people (Mission Australia, 2011). Over the last 30 years, body image issues have rose worldwide and this matters did not only pertain young people but affect people of all ages. This spreading problem is concerning because this issue assign too high value to body image in defining ones self-worth. People who experiencing body dissatisfaction can become obsessively on trying to change their body shape. These practices which don’t usually achieve the desired outcome physically or emotionally, can develop the extreme feelings of disappointment, shame and guilt and, ultimately, increase the...
Words: 1668 - Pages: 7
...Statement The aim of this research is to investigate how women feel about themselves and their body images since Dove’s marketing campaign “Real Beauty”. Women in the media are perceived a certain way and since the marketing campaign have ordinary women changed their opinions on how they see celebrities. Rationale and Research Questions 81% of women in the United States agree that “…the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can never achieve”. Body confidence has been a serious issue with women due to how women celebrities look in magazines. Perfect skin, flawless and slim is seen as a way all women are expected to look, but a majority of this is down to airbrushing and advanced computer technology. (2004) Dove created a marketing campaign to show women they can be happy no matter what size they are, and have taught women of all ages that women in the media have an easier access to tools to make them look a certain way, and they should not feel the need to conform to this. For this research, a more in depth analysis of how women feel and what their thoughts are on “what they feel is beautiful” will show if Dove’s campaign has achieved and helped women with their insecurities. Research questions are needed to ensure that the research undertaken fulfils every question and is therefore thorough. 1. How do women feel about their body image? 2. How has the Dove marketing campaign “Real Beauty” changed...
Words: 2170 - Pages: 9
...people’s self-image and behavior? That question is debated every time a “copy cat” criminal strikes and claims he saw the act committed in a movie. It has also arisen in connection with eating disorders and low self-esteem and how they relate to the appearance of the human body as portrayed in the media. This paper argues that there is now sufficient evidence to support a link, though not necessarily a direct causal link, between the media portrayal of the “ideal” body and people’s (especially women) reaction to their own bodies. Specifically, it argues that the unrealistically thin women and well-muscled men shown on television and in film show a body image that most people cannot attain, no matter how much they diet and exercise. Despite this, society insists that these distorted images are the “ideal,” leading some people to develop eating disorders or other psychological problems such as low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction when they fail to attain these impossible standards. Discussion As noted, the argument over whether there is a direct link between media images and body dissatisfaction is still a matter of debate; what is no longer debated is that “negative exposure effects” do in fact occur (Dittmar, 2009, p. 1). That is, it no longer in doubt that some individuals are affected negatively by what they see in the media. What studies are attempting to do now is to determine what “diverse factors” make these people susceptible to the impact of the media images, while others...
Words: 1999 - Pages: 8
...Literature of MEDIA’S INFLUENCE ON BODY IMAGE and its AFFECTS Introduction Body image is a central part of mental and physical well-being, and because the mass media are pervasive communicators of social standards, they greatly influence people’s perception by setting unrealistic standards for what is “normal” for body weight and appearance. Thus, reinforcing people to emulate and believe what they see and hear. There is an extensive amount of studies on the effects of media exposure on body dissatisfaction and the experience of negative thoughts and esteem about one’s body, which is linked to a range of physical and mental health problems, including eating disorders and low self-esteem. Body Image: Self-Esteem and Identity Several individual variables predict or influence the relationship between media exposure and body disturbances. Most of the research has been done with women and girls, for whom the “body perfect” ideal is ultra-thin, and whose media models are typically underweight (Tantleff-Dunn, 1999). To determine whether viewing images of thin models influences how women feel about their bodies, there were many studies done using the social comparison framework, finding that women engage in “upward social comparisons,” comparing themselves to the thin models depicted in the media. When women believe that they do not measure up to the models, they feel more negatively about their own weight and body. For example, Lin and Kulik (2006)...
Words: 1421 - Pages: 6
...Media Effects of Women’s Body Image This paper aimed at to help 15-30 years old women to build a healthy and positive attitude toward their body image. The research question that I raised is how do TV advertisements and fashion magazine affect 15-30 years old women to build their self-esteem and body image view in the U.S.? More specifically, I will examine the various aspects of negative effects that the television and fashion magazines bring to the 15-30 years old women. I proposed that the negative effects that television and fashion magazines bring to young women is more serious than people expected. I do intend to cite the relatively few statistic data and clinical studies that have been conducted on media’s negative effects on women’s body image. My audience will be the 15-30 years old women who do not aware enough of the problem that I describe or who was struggled by the problem that I describe for a long time. Nowadays, a woman’s identity is linked strongly to her physical appearance. In this situation, coverage of women in media mostly concerns women’s appearance and set them as sexual objects. Most social commentators agree that the media reflects current social norms (Grogan, 1999). Body image is the picture of the size, shape, and form of people’s bodies that people see in their mind’s eye (Honigman & Castle, 2007). It is also central to the self-concept and to self-esteem, influencing psychological functions and diverse behaviors (Cash & Pruzinsky...
Words: 2939 - Pages: 12
...Running Head: ADOLESCENTS IMAGE OF SELF Parental Influence of Adolescent Image of Self Liberty University David W. Appleby, PHD, PHD May 2012 Abstract: Of the many different relationships people form over the course of life, the relationship between parent and child is among the most important. The quality of the parent-child relationship is affected by the parent's age, experience, and self-confidence. It can also be affected by the stability of the parents' marriage; and the unique characteristics of the child compared with those of the parent (Lian and Yusooff, 2009.) The parent-child relationship consists of a combination of behaviors, feelings, and expectations that are unique to a particular parent and a particular child. Wounded children - those who have experienced maltreatment, loss, and disrupted attachments - are often defiant, angry, biologically disorganized, and afraid to trust and love. (Academic Press, 2000) This paper will show how the relationship between a child and a parent affects body image and self-esteem. Important words to know: Self-image, Self-esteem, Body-image, Autonomy, Puberty, and Myelination. Adolescents deal with numerous issues while going through physical and psychological changes. This paper will focus on is an adolescent’s view of self, which includes self-esteem and body-image. Adolescents are no longer looked upon as children, but cannot yet be considered adults (Feldman, 2011.) Self-image is defined by Wikipedia as,” the...
Words: 4041 - Pages: 17
...It is commonly known that body image has become an important aspect of self-esteem and emotional well-being. If one does not have a positive view of their body, it can lead to feelings of worthlessness, loss of confidence and worse, can lead to taking measures that lead to unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders. Images of unattainable bodies fill the pages of magazines, television advertisements, movies and social media sites, and these images generally reflect those of the thin idealized women (Jones, 2001, p. 662), and it is now easier than ever before to be exposed to images portraying these ideals. The majority of research shows that the media, whether it is images or movies and television, does in fact have a negative effect on...
Words: 283 - Pages: 2
...so what happens if either the inner image or the reflection we see is imperfect or distorted? Body image is a complex issue; one in which perceptions, thoughts and feelings play a major role - along with the widening gap between actual body sizes (which are increasing) and those portrayed in the media (such as Barbie and Rambo) (Brown and Dittmar 2005.1089). Whilst many other issues contribute to wellbeing, body image correlates with health, happiness and life satisfaction; it is how we see ourselves that ultimately dominates who we are and how we interact with the communities we live in. Accordingly, this essay examines the unavoidability of today’s “perfect” body advertising, the role materialism plays and the claim that thin does not guarantee sales; whilst considering to what extent mental health, personal health and happiness play in determining wellbeing, and then exploring the often overlooked effects body image has on a community’s wellbeing. Constant exposure to idealised media images is unavoidable; boys, girls, men and women alike are inundated with thousands of images, portraying (for most) desirable yet unattainable and unrealistic body and self, expectations and ideals (Dittmar and Howard 2004, 478). A selection of research suggests that it is not the advertisements themselves that pressure individuals; but rather, the individuals beliefs, values and ideals relating to their own appearance that impact on their body image and level of dissatisfaction; that advertising...
Words: 2014 - Pages: 9
