Essay about Media’s Impact on Beauty and Body Image of Young Girls

Her research reviewed 21 studies of the media’s affect on more than 6,000 girls, 10 years or older. The results showed that the more the girls were exposed to the fashion magazines, the more they struggled to have a positive body image. (L2)

In the minds of most girls, their body image is how people perceive them. They see themselves as inadequate if they do not meet up to society’s standards. However, in reality, we are not defined by what we look like on the outside. On the contrary, it is the image that Hollywood portrays that leads them to believe this. For the truth is we should live a healthy life by eating healthy and exercising daily. This is essential for our health not just because we are afraid of how others will look at us. In this essay, then, researching Hollywood’s image will show how it has a negative impact on the self-esteem and body image of young girls.

The media, today, continues to falsely portray the image of the ideal woman. This misrepresentation adversely affects the self-esteem of women and young girls. After evaluating their physical appearances and comparing them to edited pictures, females develop unrealistic expectations of how they should appear physically to others. This misconception can cause great concern about their bodies and very low self-esteem. Young girls will abuse their bodies by starving themselves to be thinner and properly proportioned according to society’s expectations. Body Dysphoria has become a growing concern in very young girls because of unrealistic images of women. The media also seems to have no concern of the images they are displaying of men. In magazines

Beauty is shaped by perception and emotions; although they these experiences during puberty, but it can start at an early age. Beauty is the prime reasons, adolescent girls are dissatisfied with their body. Researchers observed that 50-88% of adolescent girls think negatively about their bodies (scholar, p.). Media influence the minds of young people. The image that is constantly seen by millions by young girls causes them to do anything to look

The influence the media has upon all of society can have positive and negative effects on the public. The effect the media has on adolescent girls in regard to body image has had negative impacts, such as an obsession with body weight and what the society views as the “perfect body”. The media can be seen as partly responsible for the pressure adolescent females’ face in consideration to body issues.

The standard that the media set for the girls is almost impossible to be achieved (Serdar, n.d.). This is probably the most dangerous effect that the media brings toward the self-esteem of the girls. It is natural for people, especially girls to compare themselves with other people (Serdar, n.d.). This comparison can be distinguished into 2 types, upward comparison and downward comparison. An upward comparison occurs when the girls compare themselves to someone who seems to be better than them. A downward comparison occurs when the girls compare themselves to someone who seems to be worse than them. Exposure to media lead the girls to an upward comparison. Since it is almost impossible for the girls to achieve the same level of appearance that the media set due to the use of airbrushing method, the editing, lighting, and also the process of the models achieving those ideal bodies, their self-esteem will be low and ways of extreme diet will result in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Consequently, to achieve those standards of physical appearance, there is a socially constructed idea that in order to be beautiful, that is, in order to be like those thin models and celebrities, it is necessary to be unhealthy (Serdar, n.d.).

girls." How the Media Affects the Self-Esteem and Body Image of Young girls (August 22 2012).

Media is infamous for having a tremendous effect on teenage girls. The mass media have long been criticized for presenting unrealistic appearance ideals that contribute to the development of negative body image for many women and girls (Harrison & Hefner, 2006). Whether it’s the influence on their choice of friends, school, or their self image, media has played an important role in affecting those decisions. A growing number of experimental studies have demonstrated a causal link between acute exposure to "thin-ideal" images (i.e., images of impossibly thin and attractive female beauty) and increased body dissatisfaction (Hargreaves & Tiggemann, 2003). It has recently been

The media and advertisements are meant to influence our everyday lives in society. Young girls are being exposed today more than ever to the over sexualized images of women within the media, advertisements and in pop culture. Young girls are seeing these types of images everyday either in magazines, television shows, movies or fashion. The research questions I propose to explore: “Are the images that young girls are exposed to within the media influencing their body image and self-esteem?” I would also like to study: “Could the ways women are exemplified in the media lead young girls to have a poor self body image? Finally, “Can the influences of the media and advertisements lead young girls to depression or develop eating disorders?”

The media is particually responsible for teenagers self esteem, “Many girls can lose confidence in their intellectual and creative achievements instead they focus on how to measure up to the media divas”(Mills). When girls see magazines of thin models they feel inferior about themselves because their bodies don't match the models. Referring back to the article, girls get caught up in new methods causing eating disorders because they can't match their bodies. All the achievements they have worked for become irrelevant because society has presented that body image is the most important factor. Girls seem to have high expectations on body image that builds up low self esteem not only for them but with others around them. Many times a girl who does not think of herself as highly due to her body, she begins to form friends with the same characteristics. Second, it has been recognized that body image is also influenced by children's movies “Orenstein believes that most marketing toward girls and boys are unhealthy, focusing on physical beauty. The image of physical beauty and muscles has become of the most important representation of a women and men's worth” . Disney movies of princesses show a love story between a prince and and a princess that every little girl adores. The step mother resented her and did not allow for her to go to the ball because of her appearance. The prince then fell in love with her immediately due to her beauty encouraging young girls that they can find their prince charming if they look “beautiful”. From a young age, it has been registered in their brains to make their physical appearance the most important. Once they hit the age to search for true love the rejections from the opposite sex due to their body images start to lower self esteem that could lead into serious harm. Children's marketing also sends the wrong message to boys, “Padded Halloween costumes of

It’s almost impossible to ignore the many images of thin beautiful women. When turning the pages of a popular magazine, women are being invited by the ads and spreads to look a certain way, thin. What girls don’t see is that the average size of women today is a size 16 not a 6. Models look beautiful for a reason. They have hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe people, and skin care specialists to make them look that way. Besides that they have the best photographers in the world. Beauty and fashion ads don’t just sell a product they sell a lifestyle. Many adolescents can be influenced to have a positive body image despite all of the negative media influences. Many magazines designed especially for adolescent girls, such as American Girl, focus on positive outlooks on the young girl’s lifestyle. American Girl Magazine says “Girls in this age group are more curious about the world than ever before. They’re beginning to consider the impact they can have on the people around them, on the environment, and on their future. All the while, they’re undergoing profound biological changes. Adolescent girls are entering one of the most challenging and complex phases of her life so far. Our advice titles include expert guidance on serious topics, such as The Care & Keeping of You and Staying Home Alone. In its eleventh

Early interpreting of these images predicts the start of a never-ending struggle with identity and self-image. Unsurprisingly, girls adopt unhealthy self-images especially with the prevalence of mass media messages in early developmental stages: “Between the ages of eight and eighteen spend more than 10 hours a day using media, including more than four hours with television content delivered in a variety of formats and almost 1.5 hours on the Internet” (McGladrey). This early exposure leads to later, lasting issues. Most shocking, media pressure can lead to premature feelings of despair before adolescence: “The early girls’ coping mechanisms for dealing with these body-related pressures are diverse but almost universally self-destructive. Rates of depression markedly increase during adolescence, with twice as many girls displaying depressive symptoms as boys by the age of fifteen” (Hankin et al. as cited in McGladrey). When a female feels as if her appearance does not match that of the media norm, she struggles with her image. A factor most do not take into account, the accurateness of traits commonly associated with beauty, can also be the downfall of overly accepting women. Especially

Many young girls are worried about what their body looks like and if they are thin enough to be considered beautiful. Over several years the thin bodies that are promoted through magazines, movies, etc. are displayed as the ‘perfect body’. Very few companies and brands do not use Photoshop or women who are considered plus sized models. The thinness of the models that are promoted is unachievable naturally. Media is a key factor in putting this thought into young girl’s minds that they often carry throughout lives. Parents pressure their daughters to be thin and have this “ideal” body because they want their child to fit in with everyone else and to be considered beautiful among others. Peers bully one another because someone might not have this ‘perfect’ body. The media is what causes parents and peers to think that every girl needs to have this body. If the media were to be more accepting of bodies in all shapes and sizes, parents and peers would begin to feel the same way. Females have too much pressure put on them by media, parents, and peers to have a perfect body. Media needs to be more infl uential in a positive way on different body types.

In today’s society, there is an increasing pressure being put on young adolescents, young adults, and even adults to look a certain way in order to be considered “beautiful”. Recent research has shown that the stress to look just like these unrealistic beauty standards that are being portrayed in the media are causing image disturbance among women (Posava, Posavac & Weigel, 2001). The article “Reducing

Teenage girls are targeted by the media the most. Ads showing thin, successful women with clear skin and money bombard young women on a daily basis and because a majority do not look that way, these young ladies feel worthless. Teenagers pick up on those “not subtle” clues that to be ‘perfect’ includes being smart, thin, have clear skin, and long hair. This age group is where kids become more aware of celebrities and media images - as well as how other kids look and how they fit in ( D 'Arcy Lyness, PhD). They are taking in everything that is presented to them and no one realizes just how much it is affecting them. Body image is something that is important to them and if they are not comfortable with how they look, they become uncomfortable, awkward, and