An Intervention For The Negative Influence Of Media On Body Esteem

After extensively researching the topic and taking notes on the information that was presented in “An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem,” it was questioned whether or not exposing myths about female portrayal in the media can increase how satisfied a woman is with her body. As the media shows being thin as being perfect, women begin to eat unhealthy or develop unhealthy eating habits such as fasting or purging. In a short study conducted by Fister and Smith (2004), a strong correlation was found between eating disorder habits and actually thinking the result will be the ideal thinness portrayed in the media. In addition to this, edited pictures in the media can lead women to depression and lowered self-esteem (Haas, et al, 2012). However, when high risk females were shown images of average, normal models prior to being exposed to the models shown in the media today, they were determined to be less likely to try to become thinner. In “An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem,” three studies were done to observe the impact exposure of realities have on women. The first study hypothesized interventions before media exposure would lead to fewer comparisons between the participants and the models. Two videos used in this study as experimental tools were “Artificial Beauty” and “Genetic Realities”; “Artificial Beauty” demonstrated how pictures in the media are inappropriate comparisons because of the extensive amount of editing and picture enhancement used. “Genetic Realities” discussed how pictures in the media are incorrect because in reality, most females are simply incapable of looking those models; the video used as a control was “Parenting Skills”. It was concluded that inter...

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... were asked – are media and peer influences precursors and consistent with their assumed casual role? And what role does self-esteem have in developing body dissatisfaction? The answers to these questions were measured through yes or no responses. Body dissatisfaction was tested through desire for thinness and how content the participants were with their appearances. Self-esteem was measured by the Global Self-Worth Scale of the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Peer influences were measured through the Children’s Figure Rating Scale. It was concluded that there was no correlation between media and peer influences on self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. However, because young girls live in environments focused on appearance, the span of wanting to be thin has a noticeable negative impact on the development of young girls’ self-esteem (Dohnt and Tiggemann, 2006).