...Since its beginnings, the media has been the driving force behind the public’s beliefs and perceptions about the idea of beauty. It is constantly conveying falsified and misleading information. The media manipulates information in order to convey certain messages to the public. It is currently one of the most influential sources of information. The media establishes the societal norms: how people should act, dress and look. It perpetuates the idea perfection in every aspect of life, especially physical appearance. Increased exposure to the unrealistic beauty ideals of the media has detrimental psychological effects, including negative and distorted body image, low self-esteem and even eating disorders. The media intensifies distorted body images,...
Words: 1457 - Pages: 6
...examined to analyze if and how representations through media sources and stereotypes influenced or effected lesbians’ identity. All 6 participants self-identified as lesbian women, however interestingly enough, none of these women self-identified with any other denomination of lesbian (femme, butch, etc.). Four of the women gave no reasoning as to why they did not self-identity as such but one response included that others may have perceived her to identity as “femme” but that she did not identify Another response expressed her rejection of such categories of lesbianism, as they bring with them too many stereotypes that she felt were not always accurate of how she identified. We...
Words: 1690 - Pages: 7
...Media Inequalities Abstract Today as in the past, mass media plays a very significant role in our lives. Individuals get information about people and places they have never actually met or seen. My research explains the media inequalities shared by minorities and media ownership. It also explains the influence a few companies have over the media industry and how minorities make little progress, whether in front of the camera or in influential positions behind it. In addition, much work has been done to bring forward this issue. With the help of special interest groups and other agencies there is a push to bringing diversity into the mainstream media business. Thesis Analysis of the mainstream media reflects inequalities for minorities and women. Of grave concern is the mass media’s negative approach to educating our society through what we perceive is open knowledge in the media, and poor media oversight. The media is undoubtedly important and there is extensive evidence that it both reflects and shapes society and individuals in both positive and negative ways. The issue of control and ownership of the media, and the extent to which this affects society, remain problematic and predominately white male media ownership. According to the article (Media Stereotyping, 2010) “media stereotypes are inevitable, especially in the advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand information.” The passage...
Words: 3206 - Pages: 13
...Name Professor’s name Course number Date Gender Stereotypes in Media The mass media plays a significant role in the contemporary society. It provides broadcast information at a fast race and gives entertainment to audiences from diverse social backgrounds. Mass media is made up of press, books, magazines, radio, television, and internet. The internet is the most embraced medium in the contemporary society where digital technology dominates. Nevertheless, TV also has a wide influence in the society. By creating and conveying certain type of information to the audience, media can manipulate the attitudes and opinions of people. In this study, we intend to discuss problems associated to media influence through an investigative study of its commercial structure. The study also tries to specify gender stereotypes as used in persuasive advertising technique. Humans organize their knowledge about the world sorting and simplifying the information they receive (Gu 291). They tend to establish cognitive schemes that are certain representations of reality portraying its basic elements and features (Everett 387). The schemes developed by humans are responsible for the definition of our perception and view of the world. They have significant influence our social understanding, situation, anticipation and emotional control. The most common type of these schemes used for social orientation in our environment is stereotypes (Darling 153). The stereotypes scheme represents the opinions and perceptions...
Words: 1525 - Pages: 7
...The media and womens body image Its been argued that the western culture is a culture so consumed by image that those with fame give praise for being thin and disapproval for being fat, birthing a generation of women and girls that are often extremely self conscious about their appearance and body image. Media images of the unattainable thin body can be found almost anywhere. There has been continual interest in women’s body image throughout the years. Is there truth in the fact that women’s self-esteem and eating patterns are affected by what a woman sees in the media? Have this been researched enough to show the link between poor body image and the media’s portrayal of women and could this research allow for successful interventions to be evaluated and implemented. Could and intervention lead to fewer cases of anorexia and bulimia and could this lead to increased self-esteem and a more positive body image amongst women? The question many people want to know is if this is the case, where did these stereotypes come from exactly? Is it from the movie, television industry, fashion and beauty magazinesor is it from social and cultural influences , or maybe its just something we learn naturally. Does it really affect women and adolescent females selfworth, or does it go beyond that, leading to serious medical conditions? This paper explores the different factors that influences women body image and if the media is soley responsible for how adolescents and women view their body...
Words: 2149 - Pages: 9
...BODY DISSATISFACTION: ROLE OF THE MEDIA “I allowed Social Media to define what I thought of my own body, and now I realize that no matter how thin you are, no matter how beautiful you are, someone will always call you ugly because it is impossible to please the world.” (Demi Lovato, 2014). In today’s society young women are constantly struggling mentally, physically and psychologically with accepting their own bodies. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders (2003), this trend started since the Renaissance period where self-starvation was practiced for religious purposes, however due to the growing influence of the Media, eating disorders have become more popular in the twentieth century and as a result the death rate has climbed horrifyingly (Frey, 2003). The Media has a heavy influence on how young women in the United States view and modify their bodies to achieve a perfect body type, however this ideology can lead to negative outcomes such as; low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, as well as affect other spheres of life. In examining the role of the Media and the negative effects it has on an individual one can clearly see that the issue have gotten to the point where young women live a life where they are mentally tormented and pressured to achieve one body type. Media attacks the subconscious mind and imprint false images of beauty which in turn leads to downward social comparison and allows young women to feel insecure in their own skin...
Words: 1741 - Pages: 7
...Mass Media Control Tambela Vaughn Everest University Brandon Online Abstract The research included within this paper is several online articles, periodicals, and related books to mass-media control and its psychological adaptation in an individual’s mind. I also performed a media and mind control case study. I used my family for the subjects; my older sister who is a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.) and my mother who is a widow, an evangelist, and retired home nurse, for the control group, and my nephews who are fraternal twins, age thirteen for the experimental group. My observations were to observe both groups for a week during different intervals of media exposure. My nephews, the experimental group, were observed during and after watching television, using the computer, and listening to music. They were then observed when these forms of media were limited. My mother and sister, the control group, were observed during the limited periods of their television usage and listening to non-secular music. I believe there is direct correlation between adults and children who watch and listen to obsessive amounts of television, movies, news, and popular music and aggressive behavior, stress, dispositions, and sleep and eating habits. The case study observations supported this theory. Keywords: mass media, mass-media control, aggressive behavior, perceptions, adverse misconceptions, psychological adaptation, media nationalism, suggestive media, groupthink nationalism...
Words: 2933 - Pages: 12
...A Review of 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...
Words: 1421 - Pages: 6
...The influence of media on gender roles Over the last forty years, the gender roles for male and female have changed quite a bit. In the past, women were often viewed as having to assume the duties of the housewife, while the men are the breadwinner in the family. However, these stereotypical views of men and women alike have changed over time to shape the present. Firstly, in attempt to define the meaning of a stereotype Wikipedia (2009) notes that: “Stereotype is a preconceived, oversimplified, exaggerated, and often demeaning assumption of the characteristics possessed by an individual due to his or her membership in a specific group. [It] usually functions to deny individuals respect or legitimacy based on their membership in that group. They are the hardest to dislodge in situations where a dominant group desires to keep another group subordinate”. The purpose of this essay is to generate an understanding of how gender roles are shaped and defined in society due to an overwhelming amount of stereotyping and the influence of the mass media that has left an undeniable impact on our everyday life. When talking about gender, we are referring to “culturally learned notions of masculinity and femininity” (Tepperman et al., 2007, p. 187). As noted by Tepperman (2007), “From a social standpoint, gender is the social enactment of a biological difference.” The result of this is males are treated as men because they play masculine roles, and females are treated as women because...
Words: 2783 - Pages: 12
...This essay will look at how women are represented in the media and how they are portrayed differently to men. I will be looking at the different types of media products such as Television or Magazines. What is the media portrayal of women today and how does this impact how young girls feel about themselves? With programs such as The bachelor showing a dozen women competing for the attention of one man, often using their sexuality, magazine ads displaying a half-naked female body to sell a fragrance or beauty product, and television commercials showing off a woman's thigh and bum to sell trainers, it may be difficult for society not to be influenced by the overwhelming message to objectify women. The first thing I am going to talk about is the differences between the way male and female characters are portrayed in films. For example in modern day action movies the male character is usually the hero of the story, saving the world and getting the girl. They are intelligent characters who make the most vital decisions, they would most certainly get the girl along the way and she would most certainly be beautiful with a body to match. Even in films where the girl is the heroine, for example’ Lara Croft’ she would almost certainly have to be physically appealing to the male audience. In other film genres the woman is seen in the same way, look at the comedy character...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...Anorexia: The Role of Media Hillary Indako University Of Nairobi Eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. As many as 20 percent of those who suffer from anorexia will die prematurely from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems. While there are many possible causes and triggers for these disorders, the media’s influence on body image cannot be overlooked. The media has been playing a central role on the growth of eating disorders such as anorexia. As adolescents we are convinced with images and messages that tend to further the idea that to be happy and successful we must be slim. Nowadays, It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper or listen to the radio, or turn on a TV without being confronted with the ideas that to be fat is to be undesirable. When adolescents feel as though their breasts, weight or hips don’t match up to those of supermodels and actors, they feel fatally feel secure. This in turn makes to feel insecure about their body image and thus resulting in this eating disorder. Surveys show that there is plenty of evidence demonstrating that the media encourages slimness and weight loss and over-emphasize the importance of beauty and appearances. It appears that beauty and fashion magazines significantly impact the process of identity development in young women, especially with regards to gender-role learning, identity formation, and the development of values and beliefs (Arnett...
Words: 936 - Pages: 4
...Studies have shown that there is a relationship between the media and the issues of women in STEM. These articles look at how the media creates an image of scientists on the basis of stereotypes and the gender gap. All these different shows take on the topic in certain ways that may put women studying STEM in either a positive or negative light. However, they do all focus on the idea of making these field gender inclusive. Men want what was once theirs to stay theirs, except society has grown to be more accepting of woman in these fields. This raises the question of where are all the women in STEM fields. There seems to be interest, but the number of women who actually pursue these fields is really low. Other similar research examines the numerous...
Words: 1688 - Pages: 7
...pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight”, is a term that most people want to be perceived as (“Beauty”). Celebrities who fit this definition act as role models for women who want to look like they do, and magazines and television advertisements are constantly telling women how they too can be “beautiful” by selling them weight loss products, exercise programs, and other image enhancers. The constant exposure to the media’s version of beautiful is not something that is often thought of as negative. However, their portrayal of what is beautiful has become distorted over the years, to the point where achieving this “thin-ideal”, which will be defined later, is nearly impossible for women if done through healthy means. Because of this, many women develop body dissatisfaction, which can lead to serious and dangerous consequences, such as the development of eating disorders, in order to be “beautiful”. While there are many factors that can be linked to eating disorders, research has found that the media’s influence on society’s portrayal of extremely thin females as the ideal body is directly correlated to the increase in body dissatisfaction, eating disorders and other harmful conditions found in women. By analyzing this from a feminist perspective, it can be argued that not only does the media’s influence on the idealization of thinness effect females physical and mental health negatively, but it also acts as reinforcement for the patriarchal culture prevalent in today’s society...
Words: 2979 - Pages: 12
...Spieler Kristen Hughes ENG 105 October 23, 2012 Women in the Media According to Dove Research, The Real Truth about Beauty, only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (“Surprising Self Esteem Statistics”). Women in the media are shown as having a body type that is unrealistic and impractical. Although mass media has many negative effects on today’s women, including low self-esteem, an increase in eating disorders and an inaccurate definition of beauty, advertisements and thin models can also serve as role-model and as inspiration. From dolls to Victoria’s Secret models, women are exposed to all types of media images that portray “the thin ideal” from a very early age. Media pressure to be thin can cause individuals to have negative thoughts about their appearance. According to psychologist Tiffanie Domil, “Body image is the way people perceive themselves, and the way they believe others perceive them” (“The Influence of Media Images”). Therefore body image is all about what we see about ourselves, and our opinions of our bodies, even though they opinions may not be exactly true. For example, one woman might think she is overweight when in reality she is perfectly healthy. There have been multiple studies done to connect media to women’s low self-esteem. One example of the effects of media is in Fiji in 1995, when televisions were introduced. Statistics show that after 38 months of being exposed to media, females started to be more conscious about their...
Words: 1799 - Pages: 8
...Sexualization of Our Daughters English 101-B13 Abstract This paper explores the ways media productions have become the main culprit in the sexualization of children. The Bratz Doll itself is a device of the media and all the media images posted on her demonstrates the extent of influence that media hype has on children. Kids are inundated with marketing to sell sex products, including but not limited to provocative clothing which interferes with the healthy development of kids. Harmful images embedded with media misconceptions objectify girls and woman. Children are being transformed into miniature adults with the Media assuming the role of guidance counselor. With both parent’s working in the majority of households, the Media also serves as a substitute parent. A lost childhood is a formula for disaster and long-term issues on all levels of functioning in society. Education, communication, and setting boundaries are essential in creating a reality mindset regarding media ploys. Teaching girls and women that they are not mere vessels of sexual pleasure; rather daughters of God designed to project intelligence and virtue (Proverbs 31:10). Understanding technology, including social media is imperative; however, it is a matter of discernment and balance. Sexy Too Soon: The Medias’ Sexualization of Our Daughters One of the epidemics in the world is the Medias ’sexualization of children. Women and teenage girls are sexualized and objectified more than men or boys. Female...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6
