The Media and Body Image Essay - 990 Words

Mass media is designed to reach large audiences with technology. Its purpose is meant to give us entertainment and information we need to act as a society. Media is everywhere; there is no escaping from it. Almost every home in America has at least one TV, the internet, and a cell phone. You cannot drive down the street without seeing billboard signs. Checking out at the grocery store can be tricky if trying to avoid magazines. There are more forms of media available today then ever before; consequently, teens are exposed to a lot of information. The media is supposed to portray what is normal; therefore, it affects what society considers normal. Teens are much more impressionable then adults. What the media tells them is normal affects†¦show more content†¦In reality the media is not showing the real picture of the diverse world we live in. According to the online recourse Common Sense Media, 74 percent of characters on TV are Caucasian, and 64 percent of video games chara cters are males. In reality most of the images teens see in the media are edited, photo shopped, or enhanced with special effects. Even though a teen may be aware of this fact, seeing the stereotyped image still has an affect on their body image. Often teens are not being educated about sex; therefore, are learning about if from porn, or other forms of media. The encouragement of sexual behavior is widely displayed in the media. Sex is being portrayed as more casual, without commitment, contraception, or consequences. Teen dramas and music videos portray the cool kids as the ones have sexual relations. The casual attitude about sex has sparked a new trend involving cell phones called Sexting. This is when a teen takes a nude photo with their mobile phone and sends it to another mobile phone. It is against the law to view and distribute child porn; because teens are minors, sexting is considered just that. Sexting is very dangerous, because teens unknowingly set themselves up for a c riminal record. The internet is becoming a very popular place to meet and make friends. MySpace and Facebook have become very popular social websites. Teens feel pressure to portray themselves in seductive ways, to be like the teensShow MoreRelatedThe Media And Body Image1453 Words   |  6 Pagesknow that the media and body image are closely related. Particularly, how the body image advertising portrays affects our own body image. Research documented adolescents as they are more at risk for developing unhealthy attitudes toward their bodies. They are at a time where they re focused on developing their individual identities, making them susceptible to social pressure and media images. A major reason many people have a negative body image is because of the impact that the media has had on ourRead MoreMedia and Body Image1118 Words   |  4 PagesThe media has become a powerful source for changes in our society. There are so many factors and reasons for our society changing. Today I find most people obsessively worried about their body image. We all have a body and at one time or another, we worry about it. Women and men are both being affected by media sources such as television, advertising, magazines, music, and video games; not to mention the photo manipulation that goes along with it all. Questions can be asked; such as, â€Å"Is this theRead MoreMedia and Body Image729 Words   |  3 PagesEver wonder why more and more teenagers are having issues with their body image? As society grows, more and more young adults are becoming self-conscious about their bodies and how they look. Girls and boys alike are taught, though not verbally how they should look, from celebrities they see on TV to toys they used to play with and magazines they read on a daily basis. Media make being satisfied with how your body looks extremely difficult and it is getting out of hand. More and more young adultsRead MoreThe Media Of Body Image2000 Words   |  8 PagesOnce upon a time, you probably liked your body and appreciated the many things it could do, but the route to adulthood, doubts and insecurities may have crept in. The images the media exposures the society to are of thin and beautiful women and extremely muscular men. There are negative affects to what the media is showing the body image and mood states of young women and men. The mass media is designed to reach large audiences through the use of technology. From the moment nations wakes up untilRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Body Image1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe concept of body image is influenced by external factors as culture, society norms, especially with the development of modern social media, it has grown up to be an important element in affecting the perception of body image to shape the body image. The influence of mass media may be related to the social comparison process of appearance in female and male. The ideal media body image, it is easy to compare in everyday life, and tha t will result to dissatisfaction with people s body size. On theRead MoreMedia Vs. Body Image1374 Words   |  6 Pages029 October 17, 2015 Media vs. the body Image Body image remains to be a very controversial topic in today’s society, because of how easy it is to become a hate crime over a small comment on how small or big someone’s body is. Today, it is unavoidable to see the look that it seems society wants us to look. Professor Susan Bordo writes the article, â€Å"Never Just Pictures†, describing her investigation between the media and its effects on how people view their bodies. She uses ethos, logos, andRead MoreMedia Impact On Body Image1254 Words   |  6 Pagesimpact of media models on children’s and adolescents’ body image? Over recent times, the media has become a prominent part in the upbringing of young people. In particular the manner by which the media portrays body image has changed in numerous ways. Body image is defined as â€Å"a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body† by Grogan (as cited in Zaccagni, Masotti, Donati Gualdi-Russo, 2014). There is a stronger focus of what is considered to be the perfect body type andRead MoreMedia Effects On Body Image Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesSpecific age groups and mostly women have been studied regarding media effects on body image. These studies did not test the external stimuli created by peer groups that have an impact on a person’s self-idealization. This study addressed individual age groups divided by gender in order to determine how much media effects body idealization and if gender peer group opinions impact self-idealization when viewing media models. Methods The methods used in this study incorporated individuals into groupsRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Image1484 Words   |  6 Pages Media has developed to become omnipresent in the day to day lives of the westernized societies. The media is considered a gigantic umbrella that houses a plethora of different outlets underneath it such as television, music videos, magazines, commercials, video games and social media. In this paper, the effects of media and various media types are examined to understand their potential outcomes. Focusing on how and if media affects body image in girls and women, the themes of dieting awarenessRead MoreMedia Effects Body Image1656 Words   |  7 PagesApril 6, 2014 The Effects of Mass Media on African American Women Body Images Over the past 10 years, mass media and the access to social networks has evolved substantially causing the effects of negative self-image and what is considered beautiful. Body image expectations for both African-American male and female share the battles of society’s expectations, yet African American women body images come with a stricter and more unhealthy stigma; growth of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and