Media's Vanity Epidemic

The body image movement aims to improve the relationship between women and their bodies in a more positive manner (Dove 2014). Currently, women are suffering from an increase in body self-consciousness as a result of medias role regarding beauty ideals. Researchers have found that women worldwide do not view themselves as beautiful and are consistently troubled about their appearance and concluded that six out of ten girls are concerned about their appearances (Dove 2014). As a result, anxiety and self-consciousness are all contributing factors producing significant health concerns among women (Aubrey 2007). Media has developed a reputation in society for women to be held to unachievable beauty standards as they promote a “thin culture” (Hesse-Biber et al. 2006). This promotion of beauty standards has inspired the body image movement to educate and encourage women to love their bodies in order to achieve more self-esteem and confidence (Dove 2014). As well as, corporations are beginning to

Thesis: The media puts pressure on women of all ages to conform to their standards of what looks best, and this pressure results in women having a negative body image.

The influence of the media on all aspects of culture and society has been a issue around the world. One of the social cultural aspects particularly influenced by the media is body image. A surprisingly large number of individuals, the majority of which are young women, develop their body image in with the ideas advanced by the media, which judge women’s attractiveness based on how thin they are. Body-image plays a very important role in our individualistic society. Modern beauty image standards which favor thin body image create an unrealistic expectation on young women, often resulting in eating disorders and other destructive practices, like self-harming, unnecessary or elective cosmetic surgery, decreased self-esteem and the use of harmful substances, like diuretics.

Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women, and their bodies, sell everything from food to cars. Women's magazines are full of articles urging women to fit a certain mold. While standing in a grocery store line you can see all different magazines promoting fashion, weight loss, and the latest diet. Although the magazines differ, they all seemingly convey the same idea: if you have the perfect body image you can have it all…the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. The media, whether TV, print, or Internet advertising, seems to play a huge role in influencing women of all ages; from adolescence and teens, to women in their twenties and thirties, as well as

As young women go through puberty, they begin to mature both physically and emotionally. Particularly, women begin to gain weight when they undergo puberty. Throughout their adolescence, women are exposed to harsh opinions others have on their bodies and how they should carry themselves. Most importantly, women are exposed to society’s values through the use of media. Women begin to value their body image and force themselves to conform to society’s idea of the “perfect body”. Personally, I think of body image as a trouble of mine because I struggle to come to terms with not having a flawless figure. Each day, I see women on social media with unrealistically perfect bodies. After being so exposed to the media’s opinion of a good physique,

The female body image is highly influenced by the mass media and the media’s portrayal of women, ‘70% of college women say they feel worse about their own looks after reading women’s magazines’ (University of Massachusetts & Stanford University, 2006), the portrayal of women in the media has an unrealistic approach and brings out body dissatisfactions and this results in eating problems and disorders.

The media is a fascinating tool; it can deliver entertainment, self-help, intellectual knowledge, information, and a variety of other positive influences; however, despite its advances for the good of our society is has a particular blemish in its physique that targets young women. This blemish is seen in the unrealistic body images that it presents, and the inconsiderate method of delivery that forces its audience into interest and attendance. Women are bombarded with messages from every media source to change their bodies, buy specific products and redefine their opinion of beauty to the point where it becomes not only a psychological disease, but a physical one as well.

Throughout the twentieth century, mass media has helped shape American culture; however, not only culture is affected. Media has begun to change the way people view themselves and others. Body image is a significant part of a woman’s self-perception: it affects her self-esteem, her confidence, and her health practices. For generations since women gained the right to vote, media has taken an ever-tightening hold on body image. Women have been convinced for decades that in order to be a part of this male-dominated culture, they have to be able to do everything a man can do while wearing gorgeous clothes, staying slim, and doing other things to make themselves “beautiful.” Mass media has an immense impact on body image, and this relationship

A recurring theme Americans see via today’s media is beauty. This isn’t necessarily the problem though, what needs to be looked at is how the ‘ideal’ look emphasized by the media is unachievable for most people. Whether it be through magazines, television, or social media, individuals are constantly exposed to some form of media in today’s society. According to an article from USA Today, “Heavenly Bodies in the Eye of the Beholder”, research has been done in the past that proves “women who watch TV and read more fashion magazines” are not as happy with their body as women who are not exposed to

Media can be seen as a channel of communication in whereupon millions of people frequently use in their daily lives. So, with all of this technology around, how is the media portrayal of beauty affecting women? According to Cheryl J. Haas, Laura A. Pawlow. Jon Pettibone, and Dan J. Segrist, “Research has shown media exposure to unattainable physical perfection is detrimental to people, especially women and that inimical effects are currently more the rule than the exception” (1). When a person feels as if they do not compeer with the standard of beauty media has set, that individual develops negative emotions towards themselves which can lead to ailing eating habits including binge-eating, purging, or starving. Several studies further reveal a show in a decrease of self-esteem, including other psychological distress, following exposure to idealized media portrayal.

Culture, molds an ever-changing body image body-image standards for centuries, with each centuries body-image standards differing from the last. There are many differences in the body ideals that we have now compared to the 1930’s to the 1950’s where a beautiful body was considered curvy; whereas now a skinny body is being promoted. With girls obsessing over thigh gaps, waist size and body weight we can see how damaging the media can be. Encouragements from the media is something we see every day all around us, while supposedly promoting a healthy body, the opposite has occurred. With magazines covers displaying a size 0 model on the cover, next to a not so subtle title reading “Slimmer, Fitter, Sexier!” while promoting brands that only sell to skinny women. We are bombarded with standards of what a beautiful body is and isn’t. As the media seeks to reap a profit, they are damaging a woman’s view on their body. Today many would acknowledge the negative effects of body image in the media, so why has no one done anything to fix it?

Around the world, women are unhappy with their body image due to the media portraying body image. Media affects how women look at themselves every day. Body image plays a huge role in the media. Women are constantly criticizing their body when they see a perfect body on the media. With this being said, the media is to blame for how insecure women are about their image. A large variety of people agree how the media is wrong for portraying these “perfect” body images, but a few disagree and think taking away “perfect” body images on the media is too extreme. Without the media portraying body image, the world would be a happier place. Not only would the world be a happier place, but women would feel more secure about how their bodies look. Media is to blame for why women are so unhappy about their appearance. (Scholastic Choices, 2016)

The media depicts an unrealistic body as ideal. Women see impractical pictures of other bodies all the time. “Women are constantly bombarded with "Barbie Doll-like" images" (Body Image par. 1). This quote conveys how women struggle with their body image since perfection is everywhere. Even though magazines and advertisements play a role in body image issues, there are other influences. “Peer groups are to blame, as well as social media and filtered photographs," says O'Neill. "Everybody is just projecting 'perfection' images instead of the gritty realities of stretch marks, lumps, and bumps. It's pervasive

As the number of adolescents who are constantly exposed to mass media increases so does the amount of adolescents with body image issues. Coincidentally, these two factors go hand in hand. In previous years, television and magazines had a pronounced effect in the way growing adolescents viewed themselves, however with the increasing amount of usage of social media platforms this has gradually shifted (Holland and Tiggemann, 2016). Although there has been a shift in the influence of mass media, the effects of mass media such as television and magazines still widely influence body image in adolescent. Body image is the way a person a person feels, thinks, and perceives their body ( Holland and Tiggemann, 2016). The increasing difficulty of accepting one’s body has been given the term body dissatisfaction. Individuals who experience this have a negative view of themselves and more often than not has a deviation in the way they believe their ideal body to be. A majority of this is due to the unrealistic image Western society paints as the ideal body. The way women are portrayed has played an immense large role on the way social media promotes women. Research conducted by Holland and Tiggemann showed that due to the incessant portrayal of women in today’s media as slender and having low body fat, children and adolescent alike yearn to be like the women depicted, so much so, “Women make frequent comparisons, they are often unintentional and automatic” (42). They have developed

Men and women 's physical or outer appearance is nowadays playing an important role in promoting false images of the two genders, especially through the media. When you think about the ideal body image, what crosses your mind? You probably think of a bodybuilder with a chiseled six-pack or a gorgeous model with a small waist. The idea of the “perfect” body image in today’s society stems from the misguided idealism of the media. It is seen in Hollywood movies, beauty magazines and even marketing advertisements. Since a young age, our generation has been influenced by what the perfect body should look like. It is implanted in our minds that we should look a certain way without even realizing it. Therefore, the media has a direct effect on how the general public views what is and what isn’t acceptable in regard to the standard of perfect physical attractiveness. By establishing unattainable standards of beauty and bodily perfection, the media drive ordinary people to dissatisfaction with their body images. This dissatisfaction can result in resorts to drastic measures, and even disorders of behaviour, as people try to achieve these unreachable goals.