How Does Media Affect Girls

Media has become a significant component within society. While media provides many pros, it supplies various cons as well. One very prominent fault that the significance of media has is its visual depiction of women. There is an abundance of media portraying women to have ideal bodies, and this undoubtedly has a negative effect on adolescent girls. Two of the many effects of media on females are depression and self esteem issues, as well as eating disorders. Unfortunately, body dissatisfaction caused by media is becoming more and more common.

Mass media can have an adverse effect teenage girls by showing body types that are unrealistic as the normal and desirable type of body to have. Young women look to the mass media to see the societal norms for beauty, and what they see can influence the way that they view themselves. By portraying women who possess a body type that is uncommon, it shows teenage girls that they need to change themselves to reflect the images they are shown. Portraying body types that emphasize thinness and exaggerated features, the mass media try to establish what is socially acceptable. Teenage girls who see this message feel pressured to become what they see, often not realizing that the body types portrayed in media are unrealistic.

“We tend not to write women as human beings. It’s cartoons we’re making.” - Paul Haggis. This is a quote that was explored in Miss Representation that especially impacts me. The impact of media on women and men is immense. Media shapes the way the genders view each other and themselves and therefore has the power to dictate how humans act, how they feel, and tell them what they want. I feel that with the constant, unregulated bombardment of media demonstrating the unrealistic and unfair treatment of the women, it’s not crazy to think that young women are harming themselves to fit these roles. The media being uncensored leads to harmful consequences including women being discouraged from positions of power and changing their body.

The media plays a major role in the way our society sets certain standards and forms opinions. No matter where we go, the media is everywhere. The message that the media illustrates today is that “thin is in”. When was the last time you flipped through a magazine or through the television channels without seeing some type of advertisement promoting a new diet or new product being promoted by a super thin model or actress? Young girls are the main targets for new products. It is common for young girls to be obsessed with what is “in”. The message that young girls are getting from the media is that having bones sticking out is the way to look. They then become preoccupied with their bodies and self image. “ The exposure to ideal images coincides with a period in their lives where self regard and self efficacy is in decline, where body image is at its most fragile due to physical changes of puberty and where tendency for social comparison is at its peak” (www.eating-disorders.org.uk/docs/media.doc). The media illustrates to young girls an “idealized” shape which leads to being beautiful, popular, successful, and loved but which is not realistic to have unless you have the “idealized” shape. Therefore, they believe that their lives will be perfect as long as they are thin and have the “idealized” shape. The two main sources of media that reach young girls are television and magazines.

In the article, “The Negative Effects of the Media on Body Image” by Esther Vargas, there were several issues discussed about the negative effects that media has on body image in society. Many girls

It’s difficult to envision a world where idealized female imagery is not plastered everywhere, but our present circumstance is a relatively new occurrence. Before the mass media existed, our ideas of beauty were restricted to our own communities. Until the introduction of photography in 1839, people were not exposed to real-life images of faces and bodies. Most people did not even own mirrors. Today, however, we are more obsessed with our appearance than ever before. But the concern about appearance is quite normal and understandable given society’s standards. According to Jane Kilborne, “Every period of history has had its own standards of what is and is not beautiful, and every contemporary society has its own distinctive concept of the

It seems that younger females are more apt to believe that most everything they see in the media is realistic and attainable, and they try to mimic what they see on TV or read in magazines. They also tend to watch TV shows like One Tree Hill, Laguna Beach, and Gilmore Girls. Why do our young females look to these fictional characters for real life answers? Do they see these characters as role models? One has to wonder if they believe that if they mimic how these characters look and act they will belong and then they, too, can have the same outcome the characters do. How many times have you walked down the street and seen an 8- or 9-year-old girl wearing something that might be more appropriate if worn by an adult? Females between the ages of 9-12 read fashion and beauty magazines, and their exposure to these "ideal" images coincides with a period in their lives where self-regard and self-efficacy is in decline. This is the same time period where body image is tied to self-esteem and it becomes quite fragile due to physical changes of puberty. This is also the same time frame where the tendency for social comparison is at its peak. Girls thus find themselves in a subculture of dieting, due to the messages given by the media.

The first reason television influence the young is wrong role models because when the young see the television, they must remember and they must copy bad thing same actor in the television. The young like to see new any thing or something at difference about life then they must remember. The young don’t know anything good or some thing bad. They know it's new for they. And the young like to curious and don’t like force. They think they true, but some time not true. And they must believe models not believe they parent. Actor affect cause the young change

Media has a major influence in shaping our identity. It brain washes us by telling us what to do and because we are constantly surrounded by it, we allow it to create stereotypes, and change the way we act and think. Popular TV shows such as the Simpsons are constantly making us use and believe stereotypes. Mainstream media create images of perfect girls on magazines, to brainwash young girls into believing that they have to be as thin and perfect, as the ‘Photoshoped’ images of the girls in magazines to be accepted and to fit in groups and be happy and loved. The pressure to fit in and to be perfect leaves a psychological effect on young girls which influences and changes their original identity. Half of our identities today are completely based on what we see in the media. Although our names, cultures and religions determine otherwise, Mainstream media determines our dress, behaviour, hobbies and interests. What we see in magazines and on television dictate the way we run our

As you’re walking down a street you may notice a young group of girls or women walking and they see a huge billboard of a beautiful model. They might stop and stare at her and then discuss about her perfect her body is. Not knowing in the next five minutes they’ll be comparing their bodies to the model and feeling bad about themselves wishing that they had her body. Not to mention, that the photo may be photoshopped to make it seem as her body is perfect, or she had plastic surgery to fit the idea of having the perfect body. The fact that the media thinks they’re encouraging young girls and women to embrace their beauty, they’re influencing them that they have to have a perfect body in order to get attention. The media has put a lot of pressure on young girls and women to look perfect and second guess their bodies, when plastic surgery is never the answer to build their self-esteem up.

In television programs, youthful youngsters are frequently observed wearing more "grown-up" clothes than the normal kid, all things considered. With these apparel, youngsters are seen rehearsing more naughty conduct, for example, drinking and smoking all through immaturity and in addition taking part in sexual action. A few therapists express that there is a decent, consistent motivation to trust that TV might be a solid impact for early sexual action in pre-adulthood. Television has a tendency to habituate youthful viewers to develop conduct; in this way making them trust that obscene demonstrations and develop closet are common and acknowledged by society. As Collins (2004) clarifies, "Sexual action is unequivocally impacted by culture, and TV is an indispensable piece of US high schooler culture (Collins et.al, 2004, p.280)."

But that should be their own choice on how they choose to look, and not influenced by society or the media. The media can have negative effects on the way a woman sees her body image. Women are bombarded with advertising and messages daily. Whether it’s on television, magazines or along the side of a bus; we’re brainwashed daily. And those images are in our subconscious waiting for us to notice something irregular with our nose, ear, lips and figure.

The first reason television influence the young is wrong role models because when the young see the television they must remember and they must copy bad thing same actor in the television. The young like to see new any thing or some thing at difference about life them they must remember. The young don’t know some thing good or some thing bad. They know it new for them. And the young like to curious and don’t like force. They thing they true but some time not true. And they must believe models not believe they parent. Actor affect cause the young change idea or thinking go to the wrong thinking and doing bad thing. Whereas the young

I think we are all tired of hearing this, but media is the source of all good AND evil. Another thing that media has targeted in the minds of people is the thirst for a perfect face or body. People , especially women feel targeted and insecure about their faces and bodies and thrive to make it “perfect”.

Negative effects of Mass Media for teenagers,  The exposure of sex images and excessive portraits of violence in movies and dramas have instilled negative thoughts and taboos in the mind of these teenagers for they have been consistently getting increased exposure to things which are not suitable for their age.