How Media Affects Self Image

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Teenage and college women are overly obsessing about their body images and constantly think that they need to be much skinnier, when they are not even fat. Many women today have the wrong idea of what the perfect body is, since there is no such thing as a perfect body. Every person is different and there can be no “perfect”. Being skinny is not the thing to strive for, but rather being healthy is. In this decade, women are constantly looking at models, T.V. shows and Instagram photos of girls that are stick-thin, or just very skinny, and they think that this is the way we as women in society must look. The problem is by excessively looking at these photos or T.V. shows, women become self-conscious, obsessive, unhealthy and simply unhappy. Sometimes it is just impossible to get to the same place as the famous people we see on the Internet or television. So many people have this perfect picture in their minds of how they should look or how things are supposed to be and that is why they end up being disappointed. As people of a culture and a community, we need to step away from the Internet, and television shows that promote being very skinny, and make people aware that beauty is found in people no matter what size they wear. Once we stop constantly checking television, magazines, the Internet for inspiration from models and women who hardly ever eat, women can begin to feel happy about the way they look personally. The better solution would be to look at T.V. shows and the Internet for healthy living inspiration. Obsessing is not that way to lose weight either, in order to stay happy there must be a balance, between eating right and staying fit. There never needs to be a constant comparison. Listen ladies, stop comparing and start... ... middle of paper ... ...view Of General Psychology 15.1 (2011): 11-28. PsycARTICLES. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Levine, Michael P., and Sarah K. Murnen. "Everybody Knows That Mass Media Are/Are Not [Pick One] A Cause of Eating Disorders": A Critical Review of Evidence for a Causal Link Between Media, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating in Females." Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology 28.1 (2009): 9-42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Lopez-Guimera, Gemma, et al. "Influence Of Mass Media On Body Image And Eating Disordered Attitudes And Behaviors In Females: A Review Of Effects And Processes." Media Psychology 13.4 (2010): 387-416. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. “Skinny Is Pretty." Skinny Is Pretty. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Franco, Micheal. "Time to Stop the Obsession with Weight, Feel Good About YOU!" Diet-to-Go. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014

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