The issue I have chosen to explore based on the gender-related issues identified in “Cinderella Ate My Daughter” is the effect of mass media on young girls. In today’s society, the media is frequently critiqued on the ways in which it represents women. The media often glamorizes women and displays unrealistic images of beauty that are practically unobtainable. Another problem with media in today’s society is that it is reaching girls at increasingly younger ages. The research articles discussed will specifically look at how media is effecting girls that fall into the youth and adolescent category, with girls as young as five years old. The first article to be discussed looks at peer and media influences on body image concerns in young girls …show more content…
This study really emphasized the fact of mass media being an endless, and often damaging, cycle on the ideals of young girls. The study exemplified three main processes used in mass media. These three main processes are, 1) internalizing the ideals of being thin and beautiful; 2) learning social comparison; and 3) acquiring a schema relating to desired thinness. The study found that these three processes lead to three main consequences in adolescents. The three main consequences are, 1) an individual’s increasing dissatisfaction with their body; 2) weight concerns; and 3) behaviors relating to eating disorders. The study also proves that the increase of these three consequences leads back to an individual increasing their media consumption. Often times, people who acquire the behaviors related to these three consequences look to the media for guidance. One can see how this could lead to a very vicious and detrimental cycle. The media creates these consequences and instills them in our youth, which leads our youth to turn to the media for support and advice. This shows the importance of providing positive support systems for adolescents so they do not feel the need to turn to the