The Effects Of Modern Media On Us

Over time, the perfect body image has changed in many ways. This is very evident in the female sex, especially through media. “Americans spend about 68 hours per week exposed to various forms of media” (US Census Bureau 2009). This media exposure through outlets such as t.v., radio, music videos, movies, and the internet, all influence the way people think about gender. The media influence is very evident in the way people view women and think about women in different cultures. Media influence on women creates negative viewpoints with how women view themselves and even how men view themselves, in turn making it hard to break certain beliefs and stereotypes instilled on society.

In today’s society, media is present in our lives 24/7 allowing it to have a major influence on our culture in both positive and negative ways.

Televised news has the ability to influence the lives of the human population. News broadcasts have an impact on communities in a way other media outlets have been unable to accomplish. Major events have been captured by television, which affects individuals, and multiple aspects of society.

Female body image and the Media's influence Media has become a main influence in Western society, as well as all over the world. Beauty has been defined by the media, and it has impacted how females are viewed by themselves and others. The ideal body has changed significantly over recent years from curvy to thin. Women all over the world thrive to be like the models and celebrities in the media and ads who are much thinner than the average woman.

Even though it may seem that media influences tragedies , media positively affects people in the the U.S. emotionally, keeps the US connected, and inform the U.S. about other cultures and gives the U.S. more diversity.

The media is the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines that reach or influence people widely. The growth of the media has spread vastly over the years. The media is also known as a “channel of mass communication.” “Mass Media incorporates all those mediums through which information is distributed to the masses. These include advertisements, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet” (Sebastian). The media introduces many new things to the public, both positive and negative. The media harms the American culture by creating these celebrity idols, the glorification of violence, sex, and drug and alcohol abuse. The media positively affects the American culture by the quick and easy flow of

“Today in our culture, the “thin ideal” is portrayed in every avenue of the media.” (Allie Kovar) Using a slim body figure for advertisements influences women to change their own figure. Although media keeps women updated on the latest trends, media also has a negative impact. Media’s uses unrealistic body images to influence girls to change how they look causing serious illnesses in some cases.

Everyone is exposed to the media, and what the media presents to the public can have a powerful effect on the viewers. The media holds an influence over many subjects. For example, the media is a medium through which many social problems gain attention and support. The media plays such a prominent role in the circulation of social problems, however the media is also the cause of social problems that are detrimental to today’s youth. The media presents and promotes an image of beauty that is practically unachievable. This image of beauty is most often targeted towards women through exposure to commercials promoting weight loss, perfection, and a distorted depiction of what the female body should look like. Women’s magazines have an average of sixty-three diet ads, while in contrast men only have an average of one (Myers & Biocca 110). Myers states that body image is a mentally constructed self-schema, consisting of three parts. The objective body image is their true physical appearance, and their

It has always been known that the media can have impacts on several aspects of our lives. Both the young and the old are both affected by whatever the media puts out, positive or negative. However, women in particular are the ones that are most affected by the media. Magazines, television commercials, and even fast food ads all subject women. Women in those ads are usually seen to be thin, busty, or are known to have certain features that “supposedly” make them more attractive than those of their other female counterparts. Women often compare themselves to what they see in the media and may feel that they are not good enough when they do not match up to society’s “required” standard of beauty. They often develop eating disorders and do other harmful things to their body in order to achieve the “ideal” body type. Should the media take all the blame for bad body images or are there other factors involved?

Violent media, particularly movies, could very well have an affect on the number of violent crimes being committed in the world. It may cause younger audience members to idolize the people in the media they consume, which could lead to the recreation of the crimes they saw, or a new interpretation of them. Some people are easily influenced.

The media is a well-known, influential aspect on gender roles that broadcast negative messages to society through television by the images that are mainstreamed, which has an effect on people’s thinking process. Television brainwashes both men and women to believe they are not perfect, unless they have the body image of a celebrity. Though it is just a fantasy and not reality, “81% of 10 year girls are afraid of being fat, half of those girls believe they feel better about themselves when they were on a diet” (Reed 2016). The media paints a broad spectrum of ways it is stereotypical to not only just women, but men too. Women are pictured as a walking toothpick, while men are muscular. How can someone enjoy watching television when it is manipulating people’s lifestyle? We should not support the media when it is doing no good than harm. From advertisements to commercials, “it controls social life by invisibly transferring the dominant hegemonic ideology” (Wolska 2016). The media portrays many unrealistic stereotypes about gender, which often leads to not feeling acceptable in today’s world.

Common female stereotypes found in the media have a powerful influence over how society views women and how women view themselves.

Media is one of the four main agents of socialization. In an age where it is hard to escape, media has a huge impact upon the way a person views themself. The media has created an epitome of beauty that for most, is unattainable. People must be thin to truly be attractive, and it is best that they have clear skin. For women, they ideally must also be slightly curvy, while maintaining thin arms and legs and a flat stomach. For men the ideal is large amounts of muscle. Being constantly exposed to these standards is believed to lead to Depression, Anxiety, low self-esteem, and other issues. Studies have been done to learn whether or not media exposure does lead to these things.

Like many people my age, media is a huge part of my daily life and is prevalent in all my memories. Media such as photography brings to life memories I otherwise would have forgotten, while the internet allows me to connect with others from across the world and gives me access to resources like Khan Academy to aid me in school. Media also has more negative impacts, such as interfering with family time. Whether its effect is positive or negative, media has influenced my life since the start and this reflection helped me realize that.

There is no doubt that the media influences us. To state some examples to prove this claim, try answering the questions that follow. Do you feel like attempting a stunt from a movie? Do you base your fashion on what you see the celebrities are wearing? Do you copy the hairstyle of your favorite famous personalities? Have you ever attempted to walk model-like in an attempt to imitate those ramp models in fashion shows? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it is accepting the influence on media in your life. However, it is important to dwell on the negative influences of media because these can change the dynamics of the society for the worse.