Body Image Standards

“Looks don’t matter; beauty is only skin-deep” (Godfrey, 2013). We hear these sayings all the time, yet we live in a society that seems to constantly contradict this idea (Godfrey, 2013). If looks don’t matter, why is every woman in magazines photoshopped? If looks don’t matter, why are women constantly harming their bodies because they are unhappy with how they look and just want to fit in (Godfrey, 2013)? The unrealistic standard of beauty that women are bombarded with everyday gives them a goal that is impossible (Godfrey, 2013). Sociocultural standard of feminine beauty is presented in almost all forms of popular media, forcing women with images that portray what is considered to be the ideal body (Serdar). A majority of the models

The importance of physical appearance is emphasized and reinforced early in most girl’s development; studies have found that nearly half of females ages 6-8 have said they want to have a slimmer body image (Serdar). Body image is a complicated aspect of the self-concept that concerns an individual’s perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance (Serdar). Images in the media today project an unrealistic and even dangerous standard of feminine beauty that can have a powerful influence on the way women view themselves (Serdar). This ‘ideal’ body image is present in mainstream media, and mainstream media are a sources for women to turn to for women with how they should look. (Hendriks, 2002). Images in advertisements, television, and music usually portray the ideal woman as tall, white, thin, no curves, and have blonde hair. Women who are active viewers of media may develop the attitude that thinness is desirable, experience greater body dissatisfaction, and may even partake in weight loos behaviors in attempt to mirror the models and actresses they observe in the media. (Hesse-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2006). In recent years, women’s body sizes have grown larger, while societal standards of body shape have become much thinner (Serdar). Only a very small percentage of women in Western countries

Resonance occurs when real-world events supports the distorted image of reality show in television (Bryant, et al., 2013). Whenever the direct experiences are in agreement with the message from the television, the messages are reinforced –they resonate- and the cultivate effect is amplified. (Bryant, et al., 2013). In other words, if the viewer’s life experiences are similar to the media content that they are viewing, and the media messages are more likely to have an effect on them (Van Vonderen and Kinnally, 2002). Instances of direct experience that reflect instances observed on the television also combine in the viewer’s minds, making it more difficult for them to recall which was direct experience and which experience they viewed on the television (Van Vonderen and Kinnally, 2002). For example, television can act as a reinforce if an adolescent’s friends always tell her she would be prettier if she lost weight. As a consequence, this girl comes to believe think is desirable and she holds this belief with greater intensity than she did before watching television (Hendricks,