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Eating Disorder and Social Media

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Eating Disorder and Social Media
Media Image and Mirror Image and
How Media Affects Body Image

Media Image and Mirror Image and
How Media Affects Body Image
Introduction
Everyday various forms of media are inevitably viewed. The affect the media has on both men and women is profound. Media not only creates a general dissatisfaction with one’s body but also leads into emotional and physical health concerns. Some various types of media include advertisement, magazines, television, music videos, the internet, etc. Media surrounds an individual’s life, making it hard to escape the daily occurrence of the negative effects and unrealistic display of what defines attractiveness. An immense amount of research is present on ways in which media influences individuals. Some of the research conducted shows a difference in the ways media targets and affects males and females, both in separate ways. The research also shows that the effects of media extends to ethnicity, and explains what exactly the media is saying. The media depicts “proper” body images differently for different groups of people, be it males, females, or different ethnicities. The research conducted on the types of media reveals the under-lying message being portrayed, provides critiques, and projects future research on the issue.
Literary Review
Differences with Gender
Males. Studies show that an influence is present between the impact of the media and male dissatisfaction with their bodies. (Hargreaves &Tiggemann, 2009; Hobza & Rochlen, 2009) According to Labre (2002) the idea of becoming fit and healthy has increased in male magazines. In varying types of media, men are presented as attractive and very fit with a sense of power. The extent of fitness and muscle definition displayed stretches far from what the average male’s body type looks like. This ideal body type is a very unrealistic view and without extensive training and exercise it makes achieving this body type very difficult.

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