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Effects of beauty standards on society
The role of media in influencing gender
Medias negative impact on body image
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Recommended: Effects of beauty standards on society
Medias Negative Effects On television there are models and celebrities who are very thin and look like they never age. On the radio there are commercials for weight loss and low prices on surgeries. In magazines there are images of fit people all over the pages. No matter where a person looks they will see celebrities or models that are beautiful and thin. People, mainly teenage girls, look up to these figures which make them look down on themselves for not looking a certain way. So many girls get this idea of the “perfect” body from social media that is unrealistic and it causes negative effects on these girls. The media sets a body image in girls thoughts that make them want to look exactly like the women media focuses on but when they do …show more content…
Supporters of beauty pageants would say pageants raise self-esteem and has a powerful message to young women in general (“Beauty Pageants”). They believe that pageants boost girls’ self-esteem and celebrate the beauty of all women (“Beauty Pageants”). Although, critics would argue that the only self-esteem it raises is the females in the pageant, the young women who watch end up with low self-esteem. Opponents would also claim that the contests objectify women, and create a homogeneous, unattainable ideal of beauty that promotes poor self-image in them (“Beauty Pageants”). Watching beauty pageants on television makes girls think that if they do not have their hair done perfectly, wear make-up, and their bodies do not look a certain way that they will not fit …show more content…
The effects of seeing beautiful thin celebrities, models, and even athletes have negative effects on girls like eating disorders, poor self-image, and even getting plastic or cosmetic surgeries. The widespread images of thin actresses and models have harmed the self-image of girls and young women and encourage disorders (“Eating Disorders”). There should not be any encouragement for eating disorders; it can end up killing a person in just a few short years at least. Also, beauty pageants do not help either, they basically focus on a women’s attractiveness and nothing else. The pageants objectify woman creating a homogenous unachievable model of attractiveness that promotes poor self-image among girls (Beauty Pageants”). Often thin models are suffering from eating disorders of their own and girls are looking up to them as “body goals” which just is not right and can lead to the girls themselves having eating disorders. Models should be a healthy weight, they would still look great and it would have a positive effect of the girls who are looking up to the models. Plastic and cosmetic surgery is another effect media has had, more females are taking the “easier” root and getting surgeries to like the way they look. Girls under eighteen should not get surgery, the risks are too high. When a girl is under eighteen her body is still changing and developing, she
Societal constructs of bodily perfection have a massive influence on both genders and on all ages. If you look at any magazine, you will see women constantly being compared to each other, whether it is in the “who wore it better” section or in the “do’s and don’ts” part of the magazine, comparing body images and overall appearances. All parts of the media that encompasses our daily lives are especially dangerous for young and impressionable teens because they see people being torn down for trying to express themselves, and are thus taught to not only don’t look like “don’ts”, but also look like the “do’s”. This is dangerous in that women in the magazine set very high standards that teens want to emulate, no matter the cost to themselves or their health. Celebrities have the benefit of media to make them appear perfect: Photoshop and makeup artists conceal the imperfections that are often too apparent to the naked eye. Viewing celebrities as exhibiting the ideal look or as idols will, in most cases, only damage the confidence of both young teens, and adults, and warp the reality of what true “beauty” really is. It makes teens never feel truly content with themselves because they will be aiming for an ideal that is physically impossible to attain and one that doesn’t exist in the real
Nearly half of them stated they wished to be thinner and a quarter of them were believed to have an eating disorder (Wonderlich, Ackard, and Henderson 292). This same study found that self-esteem scores were lower and depression scores higher for those who had participated in beauty pageants. However, it is not the pageants themselves that are so catastrophic to a young girl’s sense of body image and confidence,
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In our society today, people would rather see what celebrities are up to than what is going on with our health plan. Watching the news makes us aware of the latest trend, new gadget, who’s in rehab, or who has an eating disorder. In the eyes of society, women like Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, and Megan Fox are the epitome of perfection. What girl wouldn’t want to look like them? Unfortunately, this includes most of the girls in the US. Through TV shows, commercials, magazines or any form of advertising, the media enforces a certain body type which women emulate. The media has created a puissant social system where everyone must obtain a thin waist and large breasts. As a society, we are so image obsessed with the approval of being thin and disapproval of being overweight, that it is affecting the health of most women. Women much rather try to fit the social acceptance of being thin by focusing on unrealistic body images which causes them to have lower self esteem and are more likely to fall prey to eating disorders, The media has a dangerous influence on the women’s health in the United States.
Beauty pageants have caused an increase in mental and physical issues in young girls who participate. Participation and competition for a beauty prize where infants and girls are objectified and judged against sexualized ideals can have significant mental health and developmental consequences that impact detrimentally on identity, self-esteem, and body perception ("We must protect our kids from the catwalk of shame."). If young girls don't win, they might take it personally and get hurt feelings. The child might end up feeling unattractive or inadequate ("Child Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons.") which can lead to the development of disorders such as bulimia or anorexia. ("How Do Child Beauty Pageants Affect a Child's Development?") These are both eating disorders girls develop to lose weight excessively. Furthermore, the average BMI of a beauty pageant contestant as of 2010 is 18.3 (Beauty Pageant Statistics), which is classified as underweight...
The standard way of thinking while looking through magazines is to compare ourselves to the people we see in them. Innumerable teenage girls assume that the media’s ideal beauty is unrealistically thin women. Looking up to adults as role models, we are constantly influenced to be on a diet, to not eat as much, and to feel poorly about yourself if you aren't thin. Growing up with this expectation to be skinny, some women develop bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. Americans today tend to believe that we can be as skinny as models if we just eat less, work out more, and get plastic surgery. Consequently, with technology growing, you can now alter a photo using an application called photoshop. Photoshop is a tool commonly used in magazines to enhance a photo to it more appealing to the consumers. The problem is, that many teenage girls don't notice the subtle changes the photo has gone through. Therefore unrealistic beauty standards women have been given are what makes us have negative body images.
Beauty pageants have held a special place in American culture. They started and may or may not be ending in the coming years. There have been many arguments about the negative effects that beauty pageants bring to their contestants and to society. Many mothers of toddler contestants and adult contestants themselves spend more money on beauty pageants and preparing for beauty pageants than they do on education. Beauty pageants bring emotion and societal harm to their contestants. They should be stopped because they cause body dissatisfaction, self-esteem issues, and interfere with healthy child development.
American beauty pageants got their start in the 1920’s in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was a kind of tourist attraction created by business owners to keep the tourist in town past Labor Day. Not surprisingly, the first competition consisted of only a swimsuit portion. Eventually as pageants grew more popular, more categories were added. It didn’t take long for pageants to gain popularity, the first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921. Pageants grew bigger still with television in the 1950’s, as it allowed mass amounts of people to watch at once. It wasn’t until the The Feminist Act in the 1970’s that people starting viewing pageants as bad (Goldstein). Some people suggest that beauty pageants really hammer the idea that beauty is the most importa...
Child beauty pageants have changed so much since the 1960’s. Children beauty pageants used to be about the children and having fun. Now, it seems like most children are being forced in these pageants by their parents, looking unnoticeable from all the heavy makeup they wear, fake hair, teeth and nails they use. Children being abuse, sexualize, having self-esteem problems etc in these pageants. Many people have questioned this sport and wonder if it should be ban? In this paper, I have augured and provided facts and information on why children beauty pageants should be ban.
Beauty pageants demand that competitors spend large amounts of money in synthetic enhancement. This is a poor focus for vulnerable girls and destroys the girls at a very young age. Beauty pageants convince girls that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty, which is totally a false claim. In this paper, we are going to talk about the pros and cons, whys and woes of pageants and if they are manipulative or valuable to kids. Even though that beauty pageants are a good way for girls to make friends. Beauty pageants are harmful to young children and they should not be able to compete until adulthood because beauty pageants teach kids that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty and beauty pageants pose a threat to the safety of children.
Cromie, William J. “The Whys and Woes of Beauty Pageants.” News.harvard.edu. 2000-2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Beauty pageants increase dieting, eating disorders and lowers the self esteem of contestants(E). In 2007 physiologist Cartwright came to the conclusion that women that participate in pageants are more unhappy than people that don’t participate in pageants(B). This idea is supported by researcher Carolie Alison who shows that “supporting value on looks and attractiveness leads to a negative body image, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and low self esteem(E).” Although most critics would agree, beauty pageants make girls feel like they have to be perfect. Some might argue that beauty pageants make girls feel good about themself and their
Beauty pageants have long been a form of entertainment, exhibiting beautiful women with ideal bodies competing for their talent and looks. Many pageant moms involve their daughters in children’s pageants to help them improve their social skills, exercise their talents, and boost their self-esteem. Although the pageants may seem like harmless competition with benefits, research shows that they may be doing the young beauty queens more harm than good. “.the girls are receiving conflicting messages: In order to win, the girls must show a unique personality, but they must also act and dress in a hyper feminine manner and conform to the pageant world's ideal standard of beauty and narrow set of conventions.”
Mothers subjecting children to beauty pageants can cause eating disorders, a loss of childhood in preparation for pageants, and ultimately it can damage a child’s self-esteem. Many people already suffer from having to fit a “perfect image” that is embedded in their head on a daily basis through magazines, television, and peers; so why
Can anyone actually justify judging someone by their physical appearance? Although parents enjoy seeing their little girls in the spotlight all dolled up, most children don’t enjoy the pageant experience as much as the parents, and this vicarious living is dangerous, and the pageants have the capability of exploiting the children. Beauty pageants have a background of treating women disrespectfully and as if they are not equal. Women’s bodies are seen as objects of beauty, as if we are just here to parade around for others. Today’s pageants are still set up in the same direction, even for the youngest contestants.