The media not only has an affect on young girls’ images, but it also impels them to be something, look like someone, or to do something that follows the popular trend at the time. There are certain products out in the world that if a person were to only pay “three payments of $19.95,” their lives would be drastically changed forever. Advertisements urge them to buy that new cell phone, and they tell them to go out and get that haircut to look just like Scarlett Johansson, a well-known and famous movie actress. The media makes it seem that it is necessary to have that perfect skinny figure in order for girls to become popular and get they guy. It tells them what kind of music they should listen to in order form to hold conversations with the “cool people.” With the influence that media has over this generation of young adults comes many difficulties, such as low self-esteem which leads to depression, meaningless trends, and in some cases, eating disorders. The television-broadcasting network PBS aired a report on the creators and marketers of popular cultures for teenagers. On the show, it was claimed that, “Kids imitate what they see on TV,” (“The Merchant of Cool”). So, the only way for a girl to finally accept herself for the way she is, the media should limit what is put out to the public in regarding beauty and image. If a teenage girl watches America’s Next Top Model, they will see that in order for you to win that show, you must be the prettiest. Still, because they are at such a vulnerable age, they will take that, and apply it to their own lives, but not in a positive manner. That is how they turn to anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. The media should lessen the amount of unrealistic images and decrease the pressure on these adolescent girls about what is “pretty” and who is “perfect” and what is “cool.” The media will only be encouraging the girls to have a negative view on themselves and of others around them.
Works Cited Page
CosmoGirl Publishers. “How To Achieve the Perfect Hair, Skin, Face, and Body.” CosmoGirl. March 2000: 1.
DeGroat, Bernie. "Media Influence Eating Disorders." The University Record. 22 Oct 1997. 20 Dec 2006 <http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9798/Oct22_97/media.htm>.
Dittrich, PhD, Liz. "About-Face Facts on the Media." Facts By Topics (2004) 3 Jan 2007 <http://about-face.org/r/facts/media.shtml>.
"Media." Wiktionary. 15 Dec 2006. Wikimedia. 22 Dec 2006 <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/media>.
Reinberg, Steven. "Anorexia Might Have Genetic Link." Mental Health Net 7 Mar 2006 3 Jan 2007 <http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=news&id=92135&cn=46>.
Teen People Publishers. “How To Dress So They Notice You.” Teen People. June/July 2000: 1.
The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Perf. Ursula. DVD. Disney, 1989.
"The Merchant of Cool." Frontline. PBS, Arlington, VA. 27 Feb 2001.
White Jr., Marlene Boskind-White and William,. "Adolescence: Setting the Stage for Eating Disorders." Bulimia 2003 3 Jan 2007 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC?vrsn=230&slb=SU&locID=henrym&sgcmd=REL&srchtp=basic&origsu=%2522Youth%2522&c=1&ste=17&tbst=ts_basic&sitem=22&tab=1&txb=%2522Youth+Culture%2522&docNum=X3010277206&fail=0&bConts=75>.
Cited: Page CosmoGirl Publishers. “How To Achieve the Perfect Hair, Skin, Face, and Body.” CosmoGirl. March 2000: 1. DeGroat, Bernie. "Media Influence Eating Disorders." The University Record. 22 Oct 1997. 20 Dec 2006 <http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9798/Oct22_97/media.htm>. Dittrich, PhD, Liz. "About-Face Facts on the Media." Facts By Topics (2004) 3 Jan 2007 <http://about-face.org/r/facts/media.shtml>. "Media." Wiktionary. 15 Dec 2006. Wikimedia. 22 Dec 2006 <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/media>. Reinberg, Steven. "Anorexia Might Have Genetic Link." Mental Health Net 7 Mar 2006 3 Jan 2007 <http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=news&id=92135&cn=46>. Teen People Publishers. “How To Dress So They Notice You.” Teen People. June/July 2000: 1. The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Perf. Ursula. DVD. Disney, 1989. "The Merchant of Cool." Frontline. PBS, Arlington, VA. 27 Feb 2001. White Jr., Marlene Boskind-White and William,. "Adolescence: Setting the Stage for Eating Disorders." Bulimia 2003 3 Jan 2007 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC?vrsn=230&slb=SU&locID=henrym&sgcmd=REL&srchtp=basic&origsu=%2522Youth%2522&c=1&ste=17&tbst=ts_basic&sitem=22&tab=1&txb=%2522Youth+Culture%2522&docNum=X3010277206&fail=0&bConts=75>.
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