The Media's Influence on Appearance in Today's Society

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In today’s society, as well as the media, appearance has become the most onerous topic. One is expected to live up to the horrendous, unfeasible standards of beauty. Body image has become an issue greatly emphasized within the media and society, along with other issues such as self-presentation and inner vs. outer personality. There is a not-so-new obsession with women being thin and brittle, and with men having muscles impossible to achieve without the help of illegal or harmful substances, thus leaving the human race to live in a world more focused on “fitting in” than having individuality. The general public is influenced on a daily basis to imitate the media’s unrealistic expectations of appearance.
Body image concerns millions of people all over the world each and every day. It “is a complicated aspect that concerns an individual’s perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance” (Serdar). Each and every individual is born with a different body type, and no two are exactly the same. Yes, some may fall into the same categories, but do not share every identical trait. Humans can be born with minute frames and carry hardly any weight their entire lives, while others may be born with larger frames and hold more weight. Normal human beings become hungry every few hours, and some actually eat, which can eventually lead to a small amount of gain. Others may gain larger amounts, depending on how active one decides to be. Each person is different.
Self-presentation is an aspect of body image that holds importance to most. There are few with a high confidence level, and the media’s high expectations only lower these levels. It is obvious that concerns about these types of things show more prevalence ...

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