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Mass Media In The Media

Decent Essays

Mass media is a large part of what the population consumes and identifies with; the fact that so much of life is influenced by the media is unhealthy especially considering how some of its messages are inherently sinister, and reach a worldwide audience. It has the ability to progress or devolve a society of people with the imagery it chooses to display. In the documentary, ‘Miss Representation’ by Siebel Newsom, the point is raised “The media is selling young people the idea that girls’ and women’s value lies in their youth, beauty, and sexuality and not in their capacity as leaders. Boys learn that their success is tied to dominance, power, and aggression. We must value people as whole human beings, not gendered stereotypes” (2011, Siebel Newsom). Infantilization, hypersexualization and dehumanization/objectification of women are epidemics that spread throughout the media to a point where it is rare, and jarring, to see a woman represented without those things. To contrast, men are often portrayed as powerful and/or of a high status. They are allowed to age and given permission to be given genuinely human traits and characteristics. This can severely impact the mindsets and behaviours of the individuals who consume these images. When young women and girls are subjected to these images hundreds of times a day for years, side effects include low self-esteem, eating disorders, and self-objectification.
Planned Parenthood, our “product”, is an organization that is a health

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