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If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be? Ninety percent of fifteen to seventeen year old girls want to change one aspect of their physical appearance-body weight ranking the highest (Eating Disorders and Media Influence). Body image is defined as the way a person feels about his or her body. Many things can play a part in determining that viewpoint such as media and the surrounding environment. Women are bombarded with a constant stream of social networks and media paraphernalia telling them how to look and how to act. They then develop a socially based view on their appearance rather than an individually based one. While displaying some good qualities, media has an overall negative impact on women by creating problems such as a desire for conformity, eating disorders, and body dissatisfaction. Media has a heavy influence on women’s perception of themselves and conforming to the world has grown into a normal occurrence. Girls want to be deemed beautiful by society so badly that they will conform to any idea presented by the media (Piercy). Technology has made it near impossible to avoid images of stick thin models and advertisements on getting thin quick. Media has made women conform to their idea of the perfect body and the perfect weight. Magazines are read by millions of women every day, and they do not portray real images of models. They are air-brushed, photo shopped, and computer generated versions of those women (Eating Disorders and Media Influence). Cheri K. Erdman expresses, “Even the models we see in magazines wish they could look like their own images.” Magazine articles on having the best hair and the best skin conform women’s minds to the idea that being “perfect” is their only option. “Does... ... middle of paper ... ... on these components, media distorts women’s perspectives of their body to immeasurable dimensions. Media has taken over the lives of young women, forcing them to be engrossed with knowing the latest fad and looking like the hottest celebs. It is near impossible to go a day without being affected by some form of media. Women are constantly being reminded that “skinny” is good, “fat” is bad, and unhealthy is the new beautiful. Media has given the title of the ideal woman to an unrealistic ensemble of human body parts. Amy Bloom says, “You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” Being deemed beautiful by everyone is a long ride on the road to a dead end. Nobody is perfect, and true beauty is not just skin deep. It is a state of mind, not a state of your body. Redefine the standard of beauty. Be you and the world will love you for it.
Beauty is a cruel mistress. Every day, Americans are bombarded by images of flawless women with perfect hair and smooth skin, tiny waists and generous busts. They are presented to us draped in designer clothing, looking sultry or perky or anywhere in between. And although the picture itself is alluring, the reality behind the visage is much more sinister. They are representations of beauty ideals, sirens that silently screech “this is what a woman is supposed to look like!” Through means of media distribution and physical alteration, technology has created unrealistic beauty ideals, resulting in distorted female body images.
We hear sayings everyday such as “Looks don’t matter; beauty is only skin-deep”, yet we live in a decade that contradicts this very notion. If looks don’t matter, then why are so many women harming themselves because they are not satisfied with how they look? If looks don’t matter, then why is the media using airbrushing to hide any flaws that one has? This is because with the media establishing unattainable standards for body perfection, American Women have taken drastic measures to live up to these impractical societal expectations. “The ‘body image’ construct tends to comprise a mixture of self-perceptions, ideas and feelings about one’s physical attributes. It is linked to self-esteem and to the individual’s emotional stability” (Wykes 2). As portrayed throughout all aspects of our media, whether it is through the television, Internet, or social media, we are exploited to a look that we wish we could have; a toned body, long legs, and nicely delineated six-pack abs. Our society promotes a body image that is “beautiful” and a far cry from the average woman’s size 12, not 2. The effects are overwhelming and we need to make more suitable changes as a way to help women not feel the need to live up to these unrealistic standards that have been self-imposed throughout our society.
Beauty is often described as being in the eye of the beholder. However in modern western culture, the old adage really should be beauty is in the eye of the white makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, photo shop editor, and advertiser. Beauty and body ideals are packaged and sold to the average American so that we can achieve vocational, financial, social, and recreational successes. Mass media and advertising has affected the way that women perceive and treat their own bodies as well as their self-concept. Women are constantly bombarded with unrealistic images and hold themselves to the impossible beauty standards. First, we will explore the role of media in the lives of women and then the biggest body image issue from a diversity stand point, media whitewashing.
How should I look like to have the ideal body? An increasing number of women ask themselves this question many times in their lives. Deborah Sullivan’s essay, “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty”, discloses the different cultural traditions that require various methods of body modifications. Women should undergo such modifications to obtain social acceptance. Similarly, “Pressures to Conform” by Celia Milne discusses the effects of media and society on women, and how women view their physical appearance. The media gives women a plethora of choices for the perfect body and even provides ways on how to achieve them. There is no escaping. There is no excuse of not getting the ideal body that ranges from that of a stick-thin ramp model’s to the buff and chiseled outline of a body builder’s. Still, the struggle doesn’t end here. Women also desire smooth, wrinkle-free skin, hairless faces, and ample busts. “Stencil” women are celebrities, models, actresses - women whose coveted looks are seen through discriminating TV screens, posters, and magazines. The steady demand for these forms of media is mainly due to women who are looking for body images to pattern from. These women are on the constant lookout in updating their appearance and considering the bulk of information that the media presents to them, the media is a source of considerable amount of physical and psychological stress. In their fight for their roles in society, women undergo various body modifications to suit the taste of the present-day culture.
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.
“Body Image is something both men and women are concerned with” says Luke Lyons. In addition, young girls are more scared of becoming fat than losing a parent. Everyone has a different perspective on body image, based on experience. Body image impacts the world daily for both men and women of all ages. Many things impact the way we look at body image, also. Like, social media showing good and bad sides. Body image is controversial because it can be very beneficial for some people, but also can be very harmful.
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.
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.
In her novel “Beauty Myth”, Naomi Wolf argues that the beauty and fashion industry are to blame for using false images to portray what beautiful woman is. She believes the magazines are to blame for women hating their bodies. Wolf states, “When they discuss [their bodies], women lean forward, their voices lower. They tell their terrible secret. It’s my breast, they say. My hips. It’s my thighs. I hate my stomach.” (Wolf, 451) She is focusing on how w...
A good body image creates in a person a positive attitude towards oneself. As people grow older and start to become aware about their appearance, body image becomes one factor that influences their lives. People have different outlook and perception about their body, ranging from extremely negative to very positive. What is regarded to be society's standards may not always correspond to one’s perception of his/her own body. Having a good body image helps an individual improve oneself.
Considering your health is very important when it comes to your body. Yes, it is okay to be slim sometimes, but women also have to make sure that everything is okay within. Just because women can not see the insides of their body, does not mean they should not consider it in the everyday life choices we make. The insides of our body are much more important than what is on the outside because our interior is what keeps us breathing and living. Our society often does not realize things like this until it is too late. When the people who are over the media produce the images that women see on an everyday basis, they do not consider no one else’s feelings and thoughts about what they are posting. If the media was more aware of what they were doing,
The Effects of Unrealistic Women’s Body Images in the Media Society has always set guidelines for the people of the world, whether it is purposeful or not. Celebrities, advertisements, and media play an immense role in guiding society’s mindset. Currently, one of the biggest controversies in the media is the concept of the “perfect body.” The “perfect body” is a thin, hourglass figure with toned muscles and clear skin, which are traits unattainable for many women.
Social, print and digital media is utilized everywhere and has a significant influence on viewers. Girls admire the celebrities displayed in the media and are encouraged to look like them. This provokes a negative self-image to young girls because they don’t have society’s ‘ideal’ look. The idea of the ‘ideal body’ has changed dramatically overtime, during the 1900’s, having a voluptuous, curvy body was seen as beautiful yet nowadays the idea arising from our culture is women becoming thinner as the years pass. These images of the ‘ideal body’ are displayed on mass media and this is where the thought and vision of what is ‘beautiful’ comes from. ‘Normal eating’ is defined as ‘eating until you’re satisfied’, and many extreme diets have been published by celebrities...
Media should embrace different body types instead of manipulating women to believe there is only one way to be beautiful. Media’s constant display of the ideal body type has a negative impact on young women. Young women feel pressured to conform to the media’s standard and in the process, young women can mentally and physically harm themselves. At a young age, girls become aware of the media’s body standards for women.
Body image impacts the lives of so many teenagers and adults worldwide. Although there may be some positive impacts like color equality the negative impacts outnumber the positive ones. To begin with, 50% of girls ages 11-13 see themselves as overweight. Most of them develop eating disorders and say that their eating disorders can be traced back to bullying. They say that the kids at their school call them fat, stupid, and ugly and