Girls and Media

Reider
Intro to Journalism
2008 March 5

Girls and Media

Look through a magazine and you’ll mostly find a handful of advertisements portraying beauty products and the latest fashion trends for girls and women. Simply glance at the covers of Seventeen, TeenVogue, or ELLE and you’ll definitely recognize the typical topics and articles dubbed ‘How To Lose 20 Pounds In 1 Week’ or ‘Be The Girl Everyone Loves.’ And it’s not just magazines that uphold the message, but television, radio, newspapers, video games, and internet-access, too.
In today’s world, women of all shapes and sizes are slowly succumbing into the dark void where they tend to feel they’re not good enough, not smart enough, or not beautiful enough. It seems that women do not receive the equality as boys do and they are stereotyped to end up as a stay-at-home mother and housewife as they grow older. Girls of all ages have fallen into anorexia nervosa, perfectionism, depression, or other inner and intrapersonal struggles like Supergirl Syndrome. Because not many admit it easily, it can lead to conflict with peers and other loved ones.
“Oh, yeah, every time I skim through a magazine, it’s always about getting rid of extra belly fat or another and designer clothes,” sophomore Uyen Luc rolls her eyes, a straight-A student, “And then a single page about really good colleges and universities.” So girls, maintain that nice body of yours, join a sport and eventually be the ace player, be the life of the party, be smart and quick-witted but be kind, too! This can be a simple and short definition of Supergirl Syndrome and can be easily spotted a mile away. Once a mistake is visible or if a gap is seen, a girls’ world can come crushing down. Talk about pressure.


The graph above somewhat proves the influence of larger-than-life models or celebrities in the lives of high school students, not just girls. An example can be the new acne treatment Proactive Solution usually seen to be hosted by Jessica... [continues]

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