How Does the Media Affect Teen Body Image Essay Example
How Does the Media Affect Teen Body Image?
The Media’s Affect on Teen Body Image
Introduction For years media seems to be the center of everything. Media is in television, cell phones, internet, and billboards. With media comes advertisements. It is become impossible to avoid them; we see hundreds every day, everywhere. Advertisements are meant to make us aware of new products and gain our attention so we will want to buy them. However, the center of most advertisements are young, thin, ‘flawless’ girls. With the media glorifying pretty girls and toned men, how does the media affect teenage body image?
The Definition and Ideas of Body Image Body image refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of his or her own body (Small, 2011). Models on magazine covers and advertisements represent an ‘ideal body’, even fictional characters on television shows are portrayed as thin and beautiful (Kovar, 2009). Teenagers being surrounded by all this can be convinced to compare themselves to these people in the lime light. What most teenagers do not realize is approximately two percent of people are as thin as models (Kowalski, 2003). The westernized image of a perfect body is always changing drastically (Small, 2011). Since the 1960’s ‘the look’ has been thin and un-curvaceous, but there once was a time that it was ideal to be voluminous with curves. Society focuses more on physical beauty than what is underneath, and because of this, teens are almost brainwashed to believe something that can be so harmful.
Negative influences by the Media Teenagers are most affected by the media because they are the most exposed to it; they are more experienced and connected with technology. Most of the concerns about the media relate to girls however, research shows teenage boys are becoming more insecure and experience anxiety with their body (Media Smarts, 2012). Men are shown as people who are suppose to be confident, masculine, and well put
The Media’s Affect on Teen Body Image
Introduction For years media seems to be the center of everything. Media is in television, cell phones, internet, and billboards. With media comes advertisements. It is become impossible to avoid them; we see hundreds every day, everywhere. Advertisements are meant to make us aware of new products and gain our attention so we will want to buy them. However, the center of most advertisements are young, thin, ‘flawless’ girls. With the media glorifying pretty girls and toned men, how does the media affect teenage body image?
The Definition and Ideas of Body Image Body image refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of his or her own body (Small, 2011). Models on magazine covers and advertisements represent an ‘ideal body’, even fictional characters on television shows are portrayed as thin and beautiful (Kovar, 2009). Teenagers being surrounded by all this can be convinced to compare themselves to these people in the lime light. What most teenagers do not realize is approximately two percent of people are as thin as models (Kowalski, 2003). The westernized image of a perfect body is always changing drastically (Small, 2011). Since the 1960’s ‘the look’ has been thin and un-curvaceous, but there once was a time that it was ideal to be voluminous with curves. Society focuses more on physical beauty than what is underneath, and because of this, teens are almost brainwashed to believe something that can be so harmful.
Negative influences by the Media Teenagers are most affected by the media because they are the most exposed to it; they are more experienced and connected with technology. Most of the concerns about the media relate to girls however, research shows teenage boys are becoming more insecure and experience anxiety with their body (Media Smarts, 2012). Men are shown as people who are suppose to be confident, masculine, and well put