Effects of the Media on Young Girls Essay - 2102 Words

Effects of the Media on Young Girls I can remember her standing in front of the mirror looking at herself. How she thought she was beautiful, I don’t know. Because the image I saw was of a person who looked like a living corpse. She had to have weighed only 100 pounds, her hair so thin, the black bags under her eyes, and her overall grayish complexion made her look as if she were a dead. As she saw me staring at her in the corner of her eye, she slammed the door in my face. That was the big sister that I knew now. She was no longer the big sister that I could go to and get advice from or have a good laugh with. No, she was too busy with her own schedule and not to mention her terrible mood swings. My older sister†¦show more content†¦The media plays a major role in the way our society sets certain standards and forms opinions. No matter where we go, the media is everywhere. The message that the media illustrates today is that â€Å"thin is in†. When was the last time you fl ipped through a magazine or through the television channels without seeing some type of advertisement promoting a new diet or new product being promoted by a super thin model or actress? Young girls are the main targets for new products. It is common for young girls to be obsessed with what is â€Å"in†. The message that young girls are getting from the media is that having bones sticking out is the way to look. They then become preoccupied with their bodies and self image. â€Å" The exposure to ideal images coincides with a period in their lives where self regard and self efficacy is in decline, where body image is at its most fragile due to physical changes of puberty and where tendency for social comparison is at its peak† (www.eating-disorders.org.uk/docs/media.doc). The media illustrates to young girls an â€Å"idealized† shape which leads to being beautiful, popular, successful, and loved but which is not realistic to have unless you have the  "idealized† shape. Therefore, they believe that their lives will be perfect as long as they are thin and have the â€Å"idealized† shape. The two main sources of media that reach young girls are television and magazines. In many televisionShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Media On Young Girls1654 Words   |  7 PagesMany 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 carryRead MoreThe Media And Its Effects On Young Girls And Women1673 Words   |  7 PagesPerfection over Imperfection As you’re walking down a street you may notice a young group of girls or women walking and they see a huge billboard of a beautiful model. They might stop and stare at her and then discuss about her perfect her body is. Not knowing in the next five minutes they’ll be comparing their bodies to the model and feeling bad about themselves wishing that they had her body. Not to mention, that the photo may be photoshopped to make it seem as her body is perfect, or she hadRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Dissatisfaction Of Young Girls And Adolescents1214 Words   |  5 PagesThe media is an important aspect of the current society and is ever present to the public. With the creation of new technology, there are more and more ways the media can be received and displayed for people to see everywhere they go. There are so many media sights nowadays such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as new magazines, commercials and other media publications made every day tha t allow people to connect to current events and new trends. Although today’s media has the potentialRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Young Girls And Women Alike1474 Words   |  6 PagesSocial media plays an immense role in the way that stereotypes about attractiveness is conveyed in regards to body image. As Gerbner and Gross wrote in 1976, the cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. The subjection to social media can cause an idealistic view amongst young girls and women alike. Among the mechanisms of human agency none is more central or pervasive than beliefs of personalRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Young Girls Around The World974 Words   |  4 PagesEveryday television, film, advertisement and music industries deliver contradicting messages to young girls around the world, especially in well technology developed nations like US. They create mayhem a nd confusion among adolescents, who are trying to find themselves, fit in and safely pass into womanhood stage. At home and school girls are being taught how important it is to obtain education, career, learn responsibilities as well as how to become great mothers and wives, take care of the houseRead MoreThe Effect Of Media On Young Girls And Their Self Esteem1590 Words   |  7 PagesProject The influence media has on young girls and their self-esteem 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: â€Å"Are the images that young girls are exposed to withinRead MoreExamining the Effects of Popular Children’s Media on Young Girls’ Body Image1285 Words   |  6 PagesExamining the effects of popular children’s Media on young girls’ body image Sharon Hayes and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA A study was done to explore the effects of short exposure to appearance-related media on young girls’ body image. Some writings/studies has suggested that girls at the age of 6 and older are experiencing problems with their body, or body dissatisfaction (Dohnt amp; Tiggemann, 2005). Some researchers are even saying that girls as youngRead MoreEssay about The Media’s Effect on Adolescent Bodies 1725 Words   |  7 PagesThe Media’s Effect on Adolescent Bodies The stringent standard Barbie-doll proportions of body image and what is considered beautiful in today’s media has resulted in devastating effects on adolescent women. The images displayed of women who have long beautiful legs, thin waist lines and smooth flawless skin are very hard to ignore. Throughout history the female body has been on display as a selling tool to coerce people into buying that new fancy car or the latest new appliance that can makeRead MoreThe Between Media And Body Image1348 Words   |  6 Pagesconstructed by the society and by the media. But women are affected that kind of construction. Mass media give narrow definition about the standard of beauty. Delis noticed this massage everywhere, especially in the media, â€Å"I am so affected by Glamour magazine and Vogue and all that; I’m looking at all these beautiful women. They’re thin. I want to be just as beautiful. I want to be just as thin. Because that is what guys like† (Hesse-Biber, Sharlene Nagy 12). The media representation of the thin idealRead MoreMedia Negatively Affects The Self Esteem And Body Image Of Young Girls861 Words   |  4 Pages The media negatively affects the self-esteem and body image of young girls. The media is known for broadcasting thin models and not taking into consideration the affect that it could have on millions of young women. When young girls see thin models that they aspire to be on TV increases their concerns about their bodies and that causes young girls to develop eating disorders, such as excessive dieting, bulimia and anorexia. It is very vital for every young girl to feel comfortable in her own skin