This paper examines the multifaceted relationship between mass media and body image, particularly among teenage girls and young women. It analyzes how television, magazines, and advertisements promote idealized body standards that often lead to decreased self-acceptance, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. The paper also considers counterarguments suggesting that individuals bear responsibility for critically evaluating media messages rather than passively accepting them. By exploring both the documented harms of media representation and the role of personal agency, the paper argues that while media portrayal of "the perfect body" creates significant pressure, societal awareness and individual critical thinking are essential to mitigating these negative effects.
One's body is what makes a person who they are. Everyone is unique due to individual physical traits. Although everyone has assumptions about what their perfect body should be, altering an individual's personal appearance would belittle individuality. Mass media is generally blamed for its portrayal of "the perfect body" and how everyone should be presented.
Body image is essentially how you feel about your body, including your perception, emotion, imagination, and physical sensations. Mass media has had the power to format popular culture and regularly impacts public opinion. When abused, the power of media can harm the general population. However, it is up to the public to decide whether the media is to blame or whether they themselves are responsible. The media is also argued as a source of inspiration and information on how to motivate yourself and strive to become the best version of yourself. Behind the public eye can be found positive and negative effects based solely on media portrayal of how "perfect" the human body should be accepted in today's society.
Images portrayed by television, the Internet, and magazines influence people to become someone else's idea of perfect while subconsciously avoiding their own personal intentions. Stereotypes developed from media representations—extremely thin, tanned women and wealthy, muscular men—have led to a decrease in self-acceptance. The impact mass media has on teenagers is becoming greater and more harmful every day. Advertisements and the media set out with one intention: to make a profit. However, as the years go by, the media is altering the way the body should be accepted and making girls believe that beauty is only skin-deep.
Flip through the channels on your television and you will find gorgeous, skinny celebrities that make healthy young girls feel like they need to be prettier in order to be noticed. The media can affect a girl's mind in such a negative manner that it will often cause these girls to look at themselves in dissatisfaction and disgust. Girls can see the models in a Victoria's Secret commercial and might only think one thing: "Why can't I look like that?" After they examine the models, it is argued that teenage girls might compare their bodies to those of the models they see on television. If the girl's ribs do not show or her legs are not as long as the models', she may ultimately begin to think she is unattractive. If girls think this about themselves, especially at a young age, their self-esteem and confidence will decrease.
Low self-esteem is often caused by the lack of positive body image, which many girls around the world can relate to. Research at the University of Sussex tested the influence of sociocultural factors on adolescent self-esteem. One 13-year-old girl stated, "Magazines are going to exploit the fact that teenagers are often unhappy with themselves." Implications from this research show the media as an essential source that puts such intense pressure on young teenage girls today to have "the perfect body." The media's harmful effect on the body image and self-esteem of young girls has brought about some of these damaging effects, including eating disorders and depression.
However, individuals should ask themselves whether they should view the media as something negative. With this in mind, society can change their perspective of the media and view it as a means of conveying information or contributing entertainment. Good common sense should tell a woman that the overly attractive person in an advertisement is a model and should be admired for her beauty; not all women are required to look like a model to be attractive. The media includes plus-size models to represent the diversity of shapes and sizes among girls and women. Women just tend to look the other way; all of which can be changed.
The process of comprehending truth from fiction cannot be read on paper; it can only occur in the mind of the individual. It may be true that some messages are sent subliminally. However, if consumers would acknowledge the media as just a source of information, the difficulty might be avoided. "But can we continue to blame the media for every negative thought girls have about themselves?" In fact, Berninger lists ways in which it is actually only the individual who has the power to change messages about their body image. As a repeated result of body images portrayed by the media, numerous men and women have embodied physical problems, including bulimia, anorexia, harmful dietary plans, low self-esteem, and depression. Again, if the public could view the media only as something to get one's attention and not a portrayal of how one should look, most of these problems could be avoided.
Until either perspective is achieved, the negative effects will impact the vulnerable, and companies will continue to make their profit.
In conclusion, no matter where we are or what we do in life, the media is not going to just disappear. The media will continue to try and provide information to society and put more pressure on self-body image regarding how it should "ideally" look. There will always be the damaging effects of eating disorders, mental depression, and physical health concerns. However, it is up to us whether or not we are going to let it shape us. Next time we begin to feel like we are not good enough, we need to remember that everyone feels the same way at one point in life; we are not alone.
You’re 92% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.