...establish the order of the objectification theory variables that include appearance surveillance, body shame, body anxiety and eating disorders (Slater & Tiggemann 2010). Similarly, according to Holland & Tiggemann, (2016) correlational findings about the relationship between social media usage, body satisfaction, and disordered eating are almost difficult to draw. Also, high social media exposure could influence thin-internalization,...
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...expects them to look and not based on the objective truth of what a healthy body image actually is (Birbeck & Drummond, 2006). While adolescent males experience struggles with body image and self-objectification as well, females experience these things on a much larger scale. For example, girls experience teasing from both genders, while boys usually only receive it from other boys. One of the most common responses from girls regarding barriers they felt kept them from wanting to participate in sport were negative reactions from peers that included weight criticism and criticism related to body changes as a result of puberty (Slater & Tiggeman, 2011). In a study by Deborah J. Rhea (1998), the conclusion was reached that lack of involvement in sport for girls age 10 to 15 years old was directly linked to body conscious issues. In this age range females begin developing breasts, broader hips, and experience an increase in body fat. These changes can cause a severe lack of self-esteem, leading to one of two outcomes, either excessive workouts to...
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...sexualizing women and she does it through tone and the words she chooses. In the introduction of the essay she discusses the typical body figures people see in advertisements; they are “impossibly slim (and digitally airbrushed).” The words impossible and digitally suggest this sense of fabrication and falseness, a perception that cannot be reciprocated by a typical woman. She continues by suggesting that the depictions of women in the media is poisonous and highlights just how bad the impact of the media is, that it is comparable to poison and is harming not only women but young girls who view these advertisements as well. Heldman also demonstrates the direct effects the “poison” has, she mentions that self-objectification leads to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. These disorders stand out from the essay because they discuss a serious disease that could affect young girls and women. Heldman then focuses on the young girl aspect of the problem when she mentions the American Psychologists Association investigative report. The report found that girls as young as seven years old were learning to objectify themselves after watching advertisements and across other medium. Heldman states, “Teaching them to think of themselves as sex objects before their own sexual maturity.” The statement brings in another issue of some form of pedophilia; a form that can objectify little girls and make them out to be sexual objects...
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...Gordon, Maya K. “Media Contributions to African American Girls Focus on Beauty and Appearance: Exploring the Consequences of Sexual Objectification.” Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2008, pp. 245–256. Sage Journals, doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00433.x. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017. In this article, Maya Gordon explores how sexual objectification can hinder and influence girls’ beliefs about their appearance. She specifically focuses on young African American girls whose ideals have been affected by the media’s distortion of beauty. To study this, Gordon took a survey of 176 young African American girls to understand the correlations between media and their need to focus on their appearance. The measures used within this study...
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...The Harmful Effects of Media on Teenage Girls’ Self Image Media is one of the most effective tools in the world. People learn more from the media than any other single source of information. No matter where people look, they are constantly assaulted with images and ads, whether it is online, watching television, or even walking down the street. Because of the media’s ease of accessibility, it is vital that America understands the subliminal messaging behind the entertainment and advertising, not necessarily for the adults’ sake, but for the sake of their children’s impressionable minds. With the average teenager spending 10 and a half hours a day absorbing the media’s messages, it is imperative that parents become aware of the negative effects it is having on their child, especially young teenage girls. The media has targeted this demographic and the results are tragic. The average teenage girl spends 31 hours a week watching TV, 10 hours a week online, and 17 hours a week listening to music. (Kaiser Family par. 13) With that much time spent doing these things it’s a safe assumption that the media has a huge influence on teens and takes up a majority of their free time. Drew Altman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation said, “When children are spending this much time doing anything, we need to understand how it’s affecting them – for good and bad” (par. 7). With the media imposing so much influence over young America, it is crucial that action be taken...
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...Tuohy 2012) and academics, are the dangers of sexualising children due to the prevalent, raised concern around the adverse health effects. The American Psychological Association (APA, APA 2007:1) has recognised that journalists, child advocacy organizations, parents and psychologists promote the sexualisation of children as a broad and increasing problem which is harmful to children, and especially girls. Additionally, according to a report by the Australian Psychological Society (Louis et al. 2013:32), the increased exposure of children and young people to sexualised images and themes has negative effects in many areas, including self-objectification, links with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood as well as diminished sexual health. Specifically, the APA (APA 2007:3) has recognised that sexualisation and objectification undermine a child's confidence in and comfort with their body which leads to cognitive, emotional consequences and...
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...computer retouching. What is really shocking about this is that in general, women all the time feel directly affected by beauty product advertising as it has different kind of techniques such as: women objectification, beauty stereotype and a false idea of happiness. After all this adverts, 91% of all cosmetic procedures are performed on women which means that in special women are the ones that are being affected. It is intended to explore the effects beauty advertising has in women including: Plastic surgeries increase, eating disorders, the concept of Madonna, sexualisation of minors and Racial preferences. Also, the main purpose of this essay is the one of stating and presenting how fashion adverts had state an stereotype of how a woman should look like in order to fit in...
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...Cheyenne Jourdan English 102 Pyramid Final Draft A Distorted Image When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world. --Oprah Winfrey American people are bombarded with our society’s ideals of beauty day in and out. The National Eating Disorders Association states that more than 80 percent of Americans watch television for more than three hours a day. Our media plays a pivotal role in the way that we structure our thinking as well as our idea of normality and beauty. As Jean Kilbourne explained in her documentary “Killing Us Softly”, advertising is a “powerful educational source” and the media sells not only products, but also the ideal of what one “should” consider standard to be, do, and look like. These societal standards of feminine beauty are nearly impossible to reach though, and as the media glorification of women with unhealthy body types, unnaturally flawless faces, and perfect hair remains, so do the consequences of the desire for these things. Corporate Profit Corporations profit massively from American media consumerism. Advertising in media is one of the most instrumental constructs of our society. We see advertising in our faces everywhere from bus stops, cars, billboards, magazines, websites, and television. According to Kilbourne the average US citizen sees over 3500 ads per day and advertisement is a $250 billion per year industry, just...
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...musical videos that had half-naked females featured in them got better ratings as compared to appropriate videos. Because of the way females have been portrayed, most of these females need validation from people in order to feel beautiful and confident thereby posting this type of pictures. The media also encourages sexual objectification of women through advertising, magazines, and especially the television. Some of these television stations have created shows, specifically beauty pageants for toddlers and young girls that encourage sexualization of women. In these pageants, you can see how it is emphasized that the young girls have to walk, dress, talk, and be skinny in order to be considered...
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...they should look like. This in turn, ruins their self-worth and self-esteem. Some experts say that media mirrors culture, while others say the media shapes culture (Luttrell). I strongly believe that advertising dehumanizes woman, destroys self-esteem and distorts the view of woman in society. First of all, the way ads portray women is very dangerous. It’s not only dangerous to women, but it’s also dangerous to all of society. Women in ads are seen as flawless and perfectly beautiful. The only problem is, this beauty cannot be achieved....
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...Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder that is characterized by the refusal to sustain a healthy weight (Kumar, Tung, & Iqbai, 2010). Many believe that anorexia is more common amongst Caucasian women, but anorexia occurs throughout all cultures and races. AN has the highest mortality rate of an psychiatric disorder (Kumar, Tung, & Iqbai, 2010). Every major organ system is affected because of the malnutrition that anorexia causes. People with anorexia look in the mirror and see a distorted image rather than what is reality. Victims of anorexia see someone that is huge when in actuality they may be average size and weight. Once a person is diagnosed with anorexia it is hard for them to recover. Not only is it hard for a person with AN to recover, it is also extremely easy to relapse. It takes intense therapy and treatment to cure someone with anorexia. AN exists in every culture and race; it varies amongst African Americans differently as opposed to other cultures. Symptoms of anorexia include an intense fear of gaining weight, refusal to keep body weight up, and amenorrhea for 3 consecutive months (Kumar, Tung, & Iqbai, 2010). Amenorrhea is the abnormal absence of menstruation. Some other symptoms of AN are lanugo, joint swelling, dental cavities, tooth loss, and abdominal distension (Kumar, Tung, & Iqbai, 2010). Lanugo is the growth of fine white hair that grows when anorexics have no body fat left to keep themselves warm (Morrisey, 2010). There also...
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...here at Syracuse University, was packed with girls ready to watch rail-thin models strut down the runway, as they eat away the pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Facebook and Twitter had millions of people updating their status about this worldwide-recognized show. Such as, “Not eating for the rest of the week,” “She is not real, how is she so perfect?” or sarcastic comments such as “I’m glad I look exactly like all those Victoria Secret models” (Profitable Objectification). This show is a perfect example of how the media negatively affects our society. Not only does the Victoria Secret Fashion show cause women to question their beauty, but it also instills unrealistic expectations of what women should look like to all the men. The media has a great influence on our view of beauty and has created a false perception of what females should look like. This has made it difficult for anyone that does not fit this ‘ideal’ body to accept themselves the way they are. Celebrities and models have become a representation of the ‘perfect’ body image that our society emulates. The negative affects of media today on our image of beauty are often underestimated; this false perception causes females to feel self conscious and more dissatisfied with their weight and appearance. The media has distorted the definition of beauty and the ‘perfect’ body image; which causes women serious health problems concerning their weight. The definition of...
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...what is most important is how we look. We must spend time, energy and money on our outward appearance or else we are failures. Advertisements say that we can look a certain way if we try hard enough. However, the fact of the matter is that we all fail because there is no such thing as perfection. It is this kind of powerful message that influences self-esteem and also men’s perceptions on acceptable ways of treating women. Kilbourne argues that advertisements treat women as though they are objects. Advertisements have turned women’s bodies into objects such as beer cans and scissors. This method of turning a woman into a thing can be violence. She also states that advertisements portray women as not being fully human. For example, in many advertisements, only one part of the body is focused on, such as the rear, legs or breasts. Men do not live in a world where their bodies are scrutinized; only women do. Kilbourne asserts that five percent of women have the ‘ideal’ body type that advertisements portray. However, this is the only body type that we ever see. She also shares the statistic that one in five women has an eating disorder. Advertisements are significant contributors to the intense pressure women feel to fit a...
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...Child Beauty Pageants: What’s The Harm? Although there are many adults who suffer various consequences of child pageant participations, they still look back at their childhood and have some good memories of fun. Some even enter their own children into these pageants. Unfortunately, however, the damage is still the same and the cycle continues. Child beauty pageants are detrimental to the psyche of young children because these pageants promote sexualization far beyond their years and lack regulations to govern the actions within these contests. Because these children are being pushed into time-consuming, grueling preparation for these pageants, and because their performances are considered to be far beyond their years leading to self-objectification or sexualization, and the lack of regulations within these pageants there should be some boundaries set to minimize the psychological effects of participation within these contests. As we approach the Christmas holiday this year there are many who remember the horrific murder mystery of JonBenet Ramsey, a former child pageant star, and wonder if her participation in the beauty pageant world is what ended her short life. It’s been 17 years since her body was found in the basement of her parents’ home and her face was plastered all over the news. When the name JonBenet Ramsey is heard doll-like images flash through our heads from her pageant photos. Would she still be alive today had she not been displayed so adult-like? That is...
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...Our objectification and oversexulization of young girls has gotten insane”, it seems as if men don’t notice it but they tend to make it seem that they only prefer a woman who is skinny with an oversized butt and fake breasts, as seen on tv. Even young children who shouldn’t care about size, still seem to have the idea drilled into their minds that slim is best (“Adolescence: Setting the Stage for Eating Disorders”). In fact, it was proven in tests that “91% of preschool children would prefer a thin ragdoll over a fat one” (“Adolescence: Setting the Stage for Eating...
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