Preview

Media Influence On Body Image

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
893 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Media Influence On Body Image
Body image has had a major influence in today’s general media. Different types of sources have been displayed both online and offline. For example, pictures have been posted, blogs have been viewed, websites have been created, newspaper and magazine articles have been read and television shows have been produced. Body image is described as how you see yourself, how you think others see you and how you feel about the way you look. It is influenced by many things including appearance, size, gender, skin, culture, build, weight, etc. In today’s world, body image can lead to a positive influence, but also can cause a negative image, influenced by both individual and environmental factors.

The main reason why many people are conscious of how they look is mainly related to media. As everyone get to their teenage years, the thought of body image starts to grow. Movies, television shows and advertisement have all played a major part. Teenagers have become more aware of celebrities and how they look. They start to compare themselves and start faulting everything about them, including the smallest things. They also start thinking about the way …show more content…
After stating my points, it is proven that the influence is mainly negative. All us humans, are all lured into comparing ourselves to others and putting ourselves down. Our sense of happiness, values, and self-worth, all of which are defined within self-esteem drop. We all go through many stages, trying to figure out ways to make ourselves look better, but these actions can be harmful and can cause larger issues. Media is a major cause, firstly, displaying the skinniest and most beautiful models on advertisements, and Photo-shopping and modifying some of their images to attract more customers. Society should be portraying more realistic images of beauty! Having said that, many inspiring body image stories, posted on media, have also changed people’s
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Philippa Roxby: Does Social Media Impact On Body Image?
    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Philippa Roxby: Does Social Media Impact On Body Image?

    The article “Does social media impact on body image?” by Philippa Roxby addresses the role that social media plays in shaping attitudes to the way we look. In the article Roxby addresses the power of social media. Roxby also addresses the body confidence in people from different ages. Roxby focuses on the negative impact that social media platforms such as Facebook has on people’s view on their body image.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Media's Influence on Body Image
    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Media's Influence on Body Image

    My name is Linda Davies and I like to eat; a lot – it’s in my nature. I would much rather sit home on a soft cushioned couch watching Vampire Diaries then go to a foul, sweat filled environment, and exercise – it’s in my nature. But according to Vogue, I’m living life the wrong way. Instead of eating Pop tarts, orange juice and cereal for breakfast, I should have a banana. Instead of eating chips and a sandwich for lunch, I should skip lunch completely. For dinner? No lasagna with garlic bread, and desert. No, instead, I am told to eat half a piece of lettuce and call it a salad. To be beautiful means being, 5’11 and weighing in at 117 pounds. The average American woman is 5’4 and weighs 140 pounds. How can any woman, according to vogue, become beautiful then? In a survey, researchers found that at the age of thirteen 63% of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies.” That percentage increases to 88% by the age of sixteen. Fun fact for you, puberty isn’t over until you’re about 19; if you don’t get what I mean by that, it means your body is still growing and changing – trying to modify and alter normal bodily functions is dangerous.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Media and Body Image
    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Media and Body Image

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between eating disorders and gender. Surveys were issued to both males and females aged from 17 to 18 to investigate body satisfaction, opinions on the factors that influence eating disorders, and opinion on the growing importance of eating disorders in our society. The results showed that 75% of males were satisfied with their bodies where as only 33% of females were satisfied. 80% of participants agreed that body dissatisfaction stems from media sources such as magazines. Generally, females are more exposed to this type of media then males.…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Media's Influence On Body Image And The Media
    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Media's Influence On Body Image And The Media

    The media promotes an unhealthy body image that is damaging to both society as a whole and individuals. As a whole to individuals ,promoting an unhealthy body image,and damaging to society makes people feel less of themselves.…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Media's Influence On Eating Disorders
    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Media's Influence On Eating Disorders

    Kinnally W, Vonderen, K. “Media Effects on Body Image: Examining Media Exposure in the Broader Context of Internal and Other Social Factors” American Communication Journal. 2012 SPRING (Volume 14, Issue 2).…

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Influence of Media on Body Image, Thematic Analysis
    • 3507 Words
    • 15 Pages

    The Influence of Media on Body Image, Thematic Analysis

    Interpretation of the media has been generally portrayed as a ‘medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression; and is most readily linked to in associations of ‘mass communication’. Mass communication influences us constantly whether on a subconscious level or not. Some of the widely recognisable forms are through television, magazines, newspapers, books, radio, video games, CDs and tapes, as well as internet, billboards, posters, movies and videos (Grant 2000). The criterion for this particular study will primarily focus on aspects of ‘body image’ related through the power of the media.…

    • 3507 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    How the Media Effects Womans Body Image
    • 2978 Words
    • 12 Pages

    How the Media Effects Womans Body Image

    Since the media portrays the perfect woman as flawless creatures that everyone adores, they feel forced to duplicate the projected body type in order to receive the same attention. The several styles of media such as printing advertisements, television and music tell the society things that may seem diverse but in actuality they are all projecting the same issues. Personally being a woman who struggles with weight issues the media has made it difficult for me to make life decisions independently due to its badgering approach for the pressure of the perfect body. I have chosen to focus on how much of an influence the media has on a women/ girls’ body image because I can relate to it and I know how many women out there struggle with body image issues. The knowledge I will gain in this topic will help me further understand how corrupt the media is which will lead to a better understanding to my patients I will have in the future as a high school counselor.…

    • 2978 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Media's Influence on Adolescents' Body Image
    • 3061 Words
    • 13 Pages

    The Media's Influence on Adolescents' Body Image

    Adolescents may want to change their body image for a number of reasons. During adolescence, they may feel unsatisfied with their bodies and want to change how they look just to fit in. "Fitting in" with their peers is an important part of adolescence. It gives young people a sense that they belong; the need for peer influence is a necessary part of growing up as peers can offer advice and insight to anything that may be troubling adolescents, including how they feel about their image. Also, adolescents look up to a number of people, namely celebrities, and try to adopt…

    • 3061 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Media Influence on Body Image
    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Media Influence on Body Image

    Before I start let me explain what i body image is and how is it affected. Body image is psychological, as in it is all in your mind. It is not how you look, but how you feel. Body image is affected by your self-esteem and self-worth. As it goes, your self-worth and self-esteem is affected by your personal body image. Your body image is also affected by your mood, experience, and environment. People such as role models, peers, media, even parents and family can also affect your body image. For example, if most of your family has dark colored hair, and you have light colored hair, your sense of belonging could be distorted. This can have a negative effect on your body image. However, body image is not how others view you, it is how you view yourself and think others view you. Body image is not based in truth or fact, it is based on how you see it.…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Body Image In The Media
    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Body Image In The Media

    What is Body Image? Body Image is the way that people picture themselves and how they think other people picture them. It’s basically how someone feels about their own body, physical appearance, height, shape, weight and many more things contribute to a person’s body image. The media can shape popular culture and often influence the public’s opinion. However, if the power of media is abused, it can harm the general population. Images portrayed by the media can cause a person to strive to be someone else’s idea of perfect while ignoring their own goals. The majority of the media often present ‘’the perfect body’’ hoping consumers will want to achieve this perfect body by using a certain product or idea. While this form of advertising could somewhat increase a product’s sales, many people will suffer from negative body image’s as a result of failing to achieve this ‘’perfect body.’’ As a result of these body images…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summerys
    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summerys

    Body image is the image you have of yourself and your physical appearance. This image can be influenced by what others think of you, and what you see in the media. The media exploits people’s needs to feel accepted by having beautiful people on television shows, in the news, and in advertisements. It seems wherever you go you see a billboard or a poster with another beautiful woman or a man advertising a product. Many people feel the need to get plastic surgery to make them beautiful. Caro Elliot, in the article “Put Your Best Face Forward,” points out how the media has exploited television show on this very subject. Two examples are Fox’s “The Swan” and ABC”S “Extreme Makeover.” These shows document the transformation of a contestant as he or she undergoes cosmetic surgery in a quest for beauty. By airing shows like these, the media plays a huge role in how people view themselves. There are 8.3 million cosmetic procedures performed in the USA according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and in 2003 they were up 293 percent. I think people should not worry about what other people say about them. As long as people are happy with themselves that’s the only thing that should matter.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Media Effects Body Image
    • 1656 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Media Effects Body Image

    As humans, we tend to rate ourselves pretty harsh and I believe social media networks have caused an increase for the expectations of body image. Recently, the media has had a huge impact on relationships, the proper raising of children and especially the ideal body that an African- American woman should have. Although, I do highly believe that we should improve woman’s health, I also know that every person doesn’t look like the model we see on television. In the African American culture, recently, it has been a turn of times and the media thin-ideal is being curvy within our community. Every new music video and…

    • 1656 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    medias affect on body image
    • 354 Words
    • 1 Page

    medias affect on body image

    Everyone has a different view of what is beautiful. Why then can we not transfer that to how we view ourselves? Why can we not be happy with how we look? The simple answer is the media. They show images to millions of people of what they think beauty is. Those images affect society and they view themselves about how they look. Most of these images are unrealistic, and send unhealthy expectations to women on how they should look. This causes body images to be skewed. Which in turn causes women to spend more money to make themselves look like what they think is normal. In severe cases it can cause eating disorders. Before I start let me explain what i body image is and how is it affected. Body image is psychological, as in it is all in your mind. It is not how you look, but how you feel. Body image is affected by your self-esteem and self-worth. As it goes, your self-worth and self-esteem is affected by your personal body image. Your body image is also affected by your mood, experience, and environment. People such as role models, peers, media, even parents and family can also affect your body image. For example, if most of your family has dark colored hair, and you have light colored hair, your sense of belonging could be distorted. This can have a negative effect on your body image. However, body image is not how others view you, it is how you view yourself and think others view you. Body image is not based in truth or fact, it is based on how you see it. Unrealistic body images in advertisements send unhealthy signals to young women. They give all women, not just young women, unrealistic views on how their body should look. My sister, who is 14, has a habit of asking if she is fat. She is five feet two inches and weighs 86.3 pounds. She still wares children’s clothes because the clothes for tweens and teens are too big. The doctor has told her she is in the target weight range for someone…

    • 354 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Body Image
    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Body Image

    Wysong and Sloam (2010) states that certain personality traits have been identified that may contribute to positive and negative body image. Individuals with positive body image tend to appreciate their own unique beauty and define beauty in wider terms Wysong and Sloam (2010). And unlike individuals with negative image, positive image individuals selectively filter information they receive through the media or the commentary of others about their appearance. In turn, studies on body image have found that negative body images individuals tend to be perfectionists and impressionable. They are easily influenced by the opinions, beliefs, and thoughts of others and are very concerned with how others perceive them. They also tend to compare their bodies to the bodies of others and those of unrealistic images portrayed by the media. Consequently these views may lead to a development of an eating disorder.…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    cause effect
    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    cause effect

    During adolescence, having a poor image of your appearance and body can be incredibly harmful. The changes occurring in your body during these years will affect you mentally and physically. The coming generation, girls especially, seem to believe that being thin and provocative is the only way that society is going to accept you and think you are beautiful. Research found by Allie Kovar in an essay on The Effects of Media on Body Image, she stated some researchers believe that having a constant reminder of being thin may be desensitizing to the youth and make them think this is normal, and causes a constant state of shame or guilt for someone who is comparing their own self to someone on TV or in a magazine.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics