Argumentative Essay On Body Image

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Recommended: Effects of social media on body image and self esteem of adolescents

Michelle Clark Mrs.Spanos English 2 March 11th 2014 Your Body on Display The average teen spends up to 10 hours and 45 minutes a day on social media (Newsom) Because of this, teenagers are being constantly exposed to images of models and celebrities who are giving false expectations saying, “To be perfect you have to be skinny.” The constant pressure on teens to look the way media says they should is having negative effects on health and leading to common cases of Depression, Anorexia and Body Dimorphic Disorder. The false accusations the media is sending to boys and girls are causing many damaging effects to body image. Images that teens view on media of models and celebrities are rarely healthy looking people. The majority of images that teens view have models and celebrities who are below a healthy body weight. These images have projected a standard to which women find impossible to achieve. This is influencing teens to have a dangerous and unhealthy idea of beauty. More female’s everyday feel as if they are always falling short of standards that are expected of them regarding physical appearance (Serdar). For many teenage girls and boys it is hard to go through a day without viewing images that sends the message “You are not good enough” (Sedar). Studies have shown that males and females use the Self Schema theory about their physical appearance. The basis of the Self Schema theory is that males and females will use three points of reference to construct their perceptions about their own appearance, which include the socially represented ideal body, the objective body and the internalized body(Serdar). This feeling which has become so common in teens is leading to unhealthy body image problems. Not surprisingly 53% of 13 ... ... middle of paper ... ... is the new motto and in order to save the next generation of teens from the wrong messages the media is sending, there needs to be a change in criteria. The damaging effects it is having on teenagers will affect them for a lifetime if we do not stop the wrong ideas the media is constantly putting on teenagers phone screens. Regardless of gender both are equally affected. We need to step up and help save our generation from the wrong ideas of healthy and educate future generations on the healthy idea of being valued for more than your body. This is a call to action from everyone to help send the message that perfection is not measured by body image. “There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty”. – Stephen Fry from “Mohab Is My Washpot”

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