Media's Influence On Body Image In Teenage Girls
The Effects of the Media on Body Image in Teenage Girls
Many things can affect one’s body perception such as peers and family but most importantly the influences within the media can have the biggest affect on how one sees themselves. In some ways people can control the social factors that negatively affect their body perception. However, the mass media is every where and can be hard to avoid. Past research indicates that by the time a girl turns 6 she is already dissatisfied with her body image (Hayes & Tantleff,2010). The social standards of today emphasizes the need for women to be thin and blemish free, setting a physical expectation of beauty that is beyond impossible to reach ( Tiggemann, 2003). It is said that media is the most influential …show more content…
It was hypothesized that when girls were exposed to a great deal of television shows that depicted high amounts of physical appearance related issues they would compare themselves to the characters they saw. A second hypothesis was that if teenage girls were exposed to the deception that is within the media they would have a better perception of their own self and would not rely so much on the media for ideals of beauty.
Method
Participants
Fifty teenage girls were recruited by the recommendations of teachers from local middle and high schools in urban areas. Ages ranged from 14-17 with the mean age being 16. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. This study included a diverse demographic; 60% were African American, 20% were Caucasians, 15% were Latino, and 5% identified as other. Teens dealing with eating disorders were excluded, for their judgment on body image is already …show more content…
However, a great percentage of the girls did indicate that if they could, they would change something about themselves. Furthermore, about 50% of the girls had worries and thought they were fat. Lastly, the Media deception showed that teens are not educated on the manipulation of the medias image refinement. These finding can make way for further research because it opens a new door to be able to reverse the damage that the media has already done by showing girls that they are perfect just the way they are. These findings can help young girls understand that even are greatest icons go through so much to look
Many things can affect one’s body perception such as peers and family but most importantly the influences within the media can have the biggest affect on how one sees themselves. In some ways people can control the social factors that negatively affect their body perception. However, the mass media is every where and can be hard to avoid. Past research indicates that by the time a girl turns 6 she is already dissatisfied with her body image (Hayes & Tantleff,2010). The social standards of today emphasizes the need for women to be thin and blemish free, setting a physical expectation of beauty that is beyond impossible to reach ( Tiggemann, 2003). It is said that media is the most influential …show more content…
It was hypothesized that when girls were exposed to a great deal of television shows that depicted high amounts of physical appearance related issues they would compare themselves to the characters they saw. A second hypothesis was that if teenage girls were exposed to the deception that is within the media they would have a better perception of their own self and would not rely so much on the media for ideals of beauty.
Method
Participants
Fifty teenage girls were recruited by the recommendations of teachers from local middle and high schools in urban areas. Ages ranged from 14-17 with the mean age being 16. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. This study included a diverse demographic; 60% were African American, 20% were Caucasians, 15% were Latino, and 5% identified as other. Teens dealing with eating disorders were excluded, for their judgment on body image is already …show more content…
However, a great percentage of the girls did indicate that if they could, they would change something about themselves. Furthermore, about 50% of the girls had worries and thought they were fat. Lastly, the Media deception showed that teens are not educated on the manipulation of the medias image refinement. These finding can make way for further research because it opens a new door to be able to reverse the damage that the media has already done by showing girls that they are perfect just the way they are. These findings can help young girls understand that even are greatest icons go through so much to look