Stereotypes And Body Image

1266 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Media impact on beauty standards

In today’s world, body image is a key concept that engulfs most of every teenage persons mind. Everywhere you look, images of thin, young, beautiful women and toned, muscular men are looking back at you. This image is the symbol of today's culture. Teenagers are exposed to an enormous amount of media that portrays the average person in an extremely unrealistic way. The people that are idolized on television are often shown with unrealistic, and so-called “beautiful” bodies. Teenagers often get caught up in this type of media, and allow it to get into their minds and control the ways that they think. Teens are always being reminded of how they should look and what they should do to fit in with the people the media show as perfect. Many teens put themselves into groups of people like them and reject anyone else who doesn't share their interests and similarities, and the media fails to realize that showing stereotypes and praising certain body images is effecting the lives of everyday teenagers in a great and uncontrollable way. The media is constantly sending false and offensive messages out to the world by showing these images of these people. Stereotyping is not only judgmental, but it creates a horrible environment and atmosphere to every who is subjected to it. The media, as well as the people it effects, causes people to discriminate against others who aren't viewed with an ideal body image. Discrimination against the youth is well recorded. According to a Yale University study, a full 66 percent of people in the past decade have been discriminated against because of their body image. An article written on WordPress.com argues, "The media is viewed by so many citizens of all ages. Our teens are the ones who seem to view the ... ... middle of paper ... ...body image belongs to today's social media. If the media of today would stop showing this body type there would be an enormous change in the discrimination of today's teenagers. The body type that is considered to be beautiful is commonly known to be: tall, thin, and attractive. The media suggests that if you aren't this way, you aren't beautiful. This idea sinks in to the minds of today's youth, and makes them believe that they aren't good enough and that they don't fit in. If the media started showing all kinds of shapes, sizes, and appearances, the discrimination against teens would disappear. These teens that previously felt judged would start to feel like they are beautiful and like they fit in with society. Once all teenagers are able to say that they are confident with their appearance, weight, and body, will be the day that social media allows them to do so.

Show More
Related

  • Perfection In Hawthorne's The Birth Mark

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Sociological Impact of Media Body Induced Image on Women

    1905 Words  | 4 Pages

    In recent years, sociologists, psychologists, and medical experts have gone to great lengths about the growing problem of body image. This literature review examines the sociological impact of media-induced body image on women, specifically women under the age of 18. Although most individuals make light of the ideal body image most will agree that today’s pop-culture is inherently hurting the youth by representing false images and unhealthy habits. The paper compares the media-induced ideal body image with significant role models of today’s youth and the surrounding historical icons of pop-culture while exploring various sociological perspectives surrounding this issue.

    Read More

  • Campaigning for Real Beauty: Dove® and Changing Stereotypical Body Images as Seen in the Media

    3016 Words  | 7 Pages

    Van Vonderen, K. E., & Kinnally, W. (2012). Media effects on body image: Examining media

    Read More

  • Media And Social Media, Adolescents, And The Media

    1806 Words  | 4 Pages

    Research shows “that regular readers of fashion and beauty magazines in early adolescence are more likely to suffer from a distorted body image during their teenage years” (“Children, Adolescents and the Media”), when they read beauty magazines they read articles and tips of how to look better and they try to them all to look and feel better about themselves. Research shows that “more than three-quarters of girls repot that television influenced their body image” (Mascarelli). Social media influences how we act and what we do Amanda Swartz once stated “Social media and mass media influence the way we react and interact with our world and potentially influence the perception of our own body image” (Mulliniks). In today’s worlds there are more ways to access websites to promote body image as a positive thing, “On the internet, there are now more than 100 pro anorexia websites that not only encourage disordered eating but offer specific advice on purging, severely restricting calories intake, and exercising excessively” (“Children, Adolescents and the Media”). It’s not a bad thing to eat healthy and work out to be fit and healthy but it’s another thing to eat less and work out excessively. Teens always compare themselves to others, either their peers, models and celebrities, “People are on Facebook or Instagram and they’re constantly comparing themselves to other people” (Mulliniks). Also reality television shows, show only the glamorous about what is happening, like “when teen moms become celebrities, the message to avoid teen pregnancy is lost” (Kroll). When teens watch shows like Teen Mom they don’t see the entire negative about becoming pregnant as a teen they see that the teen mom got famous and is on the show. Social media, media, magazines, and TV give teen’s unrealistical facts about body image, pregnancy and

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders and The Media

    1688 Words  | 4 Pages

    Our society today is heavily influenced by the media and the imagery it shows. Though it may be indirect, the media provides unhealthy messages about ideal body sizes, gender attractiveness, and weight control that make women view themselves in a negative way. Magazines, television, and movies influence teenage girls on what they believe their body image should be. The images they show set the standard of what is considered physically attractive in our society. With the use of photoshop, media depicts falsified images of models and actresses to create a perfected look that is unattainable by the average woman. This creates a desire among teenage girls to look like these stars that are often shown. When teenage girls look at these images, they compare themselves to those images, and then judge themselves based on these comparisons. These judgements can potentially lead to eating disorders. In order to prevent the risk of eating disorders among teenage girls, the media should depict a typical image of people, rather than idolizing a specific standard of beauty.

    Read More

  • Social Media's Negative Effects On Body Image

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a teenager, I have witnessed the effects of media on body image almost everyday. Kids these days are so focused on social media and having the perfect body type that they can hardly even function sometimes. The media has had such a negative impact on so many young people, do we really want our generation of young people to grow up with this kind of pressure to look just right? Although there are many positive things about the media, the negative impacts it has outweigh the good.

    Read More

  • Negative Body Image Essay

    1608 Words  | 4 Pages

    If one does not fit this ideal, then they are considered unappealing. Unfortunately, there is nothing one can do to truly change their body image other than think happier thoughts, obtain plastic surgery, or go to the gym to make themselves feel and potentially look better. Popular media is making it extremely difficult for one to maintain a positive body image. They have created the perfect human image that is almost unattainable to reach. The idea of a teenager’s body image is being destroyed by the standards of magazines, television shows, and society as a whole, making it to where it will never recover again. To better understand the effect popular media has on one’s body image, viewing psychology, medicine and health sciences, and cultural and ethnic studies will give a better understanding on the

    Read More

  • How Does Social Media Affect Body Image

    959 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today's society, social media is directly affecting how the modern teenager perceives their body image. The struggle with not being able to prevent this issue is most teens are all about social media and all of its wonders. Teens spend most of their time on social media. Social media alternates these images body images and it becomes unhealthy for teens. These unhealthy stereotypes harass young adults in their daily lives. Teens struggle with the stereotypes causing them to do unhealthy things to their bodies. Social media's views on body image is causing people to form eating disorders and body image anxieties or concerns. Social media and body images affect teens´ self confidence which can lead teen to look at themselves differently and

    Read More

  • Social Media And Body Image

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    Body image has become one of the most important things in society and also one of the hottest topics for social media. My questions for body image focused on how society affects the way people look at themselves and others. Jaclyn was the first interviewee to answer and she believed that social media takes a large role on how body image effects society. She believe that body image has a large effect on the power people have over each other, her example was based on the process of getting hired for a job. Body image plays a role in the hiring system because it is instinctual for someone who is better looking who is also skilled to get hired more than someone who does not fit the ideal body image, she used Aeropostale for example. The more we focus on body image the more the perfect body seems to change. I asked if there was a different image for men and women, Jacklyn stated that the perfect male body image is someone who is attractive and fit while the ideal woman has the Victoria 's Secret model body. The media supports these ideas by defining who is perfect in showing only that body image, advertising with it. As time passes we see that commercials try and push that everyone has an ideal body, but then other company will only show attractive women as an incentive for men to use their product. Xavier has the same view on how society influences perfect body ideal. He believes that because there 's a certain body image people must uphold that more people in society are becoming insecure and uncomfortable with themselves, feeling as if they cannot be accepted by society. The simple society pushing body image is all through the media, Xavier comments that social media has a lot to do with the way people look at their bodies. He notices that women are supposed to be curvy with big boobs or butts while men have to be fit with a six pack or bulging muscles, both of these are examples of the perfect

    Read More

  • Media and its Affect on the Teenage Body Image

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Introduction to Body Image: Teen Decisions." Body Image. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Teen Decisions. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Essay On Body Image

    1152 Words  | 3 Pages

    The media has a crucial influence on adolescents. Golan, Hagay and Tamir (2013) stated that “Since puberty, by its very nature, is associated with weight gain, adolescents frequently experience frequently experience dissatisfaction with their changing bodies” (p. 1). Young boys grow up with the expectation of having to become a strong, muscular, masculine man. Young girls see skinny models and movie stars and grow up thinking that it is only socially acceptable and attractive if they are also skinny, or very thin. “In a culture that glorifies thinness some adolescents, mostly girls, become excessively preoccupied with their physical appearance and begin to diet obsessively in an effort to achieve or maintain a thin body (Golan, Hagay & Tamir, 2013, 1). Little girls play with dolls that have narrow waists, full busts, lots of makeup and their hair done a certain way. Advertisers and manufacturers are portraying a particular body image with the dolls, and this makes little girls form an opinion on how they should look. “Young girls may engage in conversations...

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of Primary Socialization And Two Agents Of Socialisation

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    Vargas, L E. (2013) The Negative Effects of The Media on Body Image. Personal.psu.edu. Retrieved 30 Nov. 17 from:

    Read More

  • Teenage Girls and Body Image

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    The mass media plays a large role in shaping a teenage and adolescent girl’s body image. By pushing an ideal body type that is uncommon and untrue to life, girls strive, and struggle to obtain this image. When the mass media only shows one type of body as desirable, they are alienating every girl who does not fit into that category. Pushing these ideal bodies onto teenage girls at an important developmental time in their lives can be detrimental to their bodies and their self worth. By showing what a girl should look like, the mass media is damaging the body images of young girls, and unless awareness is raised, could become more and more adverse on young women today and tomorrow.

    Read More

  • Has the Media’s Portrayal of Women Negatively Affected the Body Image of The Wykeham Collegiate Senior School Girls?

    3125 Words  | 7 Pages

    It seems that the media’s portrayal of women has negatively affected the body image of The Wykeham Collegiate senior school girls. The media has a negative effect on the youth of today, primarily amongst the female population when it comes to how young girls and women regard their bodies.

    Read More

  • The Pressures of Teenage Life

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Teenagers constantly worry about their body image. Magazines, newspapers, and television don’t exactly help to boost their confidence. The portrayal of stick thin woman and body building men forces teens to believe they need to achieve that “perfect” body and look. The biggest issue of these images being broadcasted to teens is the effects that the images have on them. Teenagers who obsess over their body image can experience stress due to trying to impress others, develop an eating disorder, and neglect, and even jeopardize, important aspects of their lives when they focus too much on their body image.

    Read More

More about Stereotypes And Body Image

Open Document