The Affect of Media Beauty Standards on Women's Self Esteem

2170 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How media is affecting women of society

The Affect of Media Beauty Standards on Women's Self Esteem

In the daily fight for the emancipation of women and the pressures and influence of advertising, women of all ages are coerced into physical and psychological self-torment trying to achieve an optimum look or image. This is something not limited to a few. One can see the work of television advertisers in high schools everyday as girls wear the same clothing, makeup and accessories as their favorite stars. They may also try to imitate models they see in teen magazines. While it is fairly obvious that such a phenomenon exists, what is not so obvious are the detrimental effects.

One question looms large. Is self-esteem affected by media? Many think it is. Morant (2000) reports on the BMA's findings that media should take more responsibility. A report was done about body image and the media and calls for a more realistic range of body types (2000). Council Chairman Dr. Ian Bogle claimed that there is a cult of

"bodily perfection" that is perpetuated by media (2000). Recommendations include a policy regarding the use of thin women in advertisements and school programs to teach media literacy (2000). Many girls watch television and see women who by most standards would be considered underweight. While that may be the case, these waifs are symbols of beauty and so few question whether they look good or are healthy. Rather, girls question why they themselves are not also pencil thin. This can affect self-esteem.

Tessa Jowell, minister for women, said: "Young women are tired of feeling second rate because they cannot match the thin ideal that they see so often in the media. For many, poor body image can lead to low levels of self esteem; for some it is far more dangerou...

... middle of paper ...

...to follow and so the media needs to take more responsibility for their actions.

Bibliography

Holsey, S. (1996, July 30). Former rapper disenchanted with rap's direction. Michigan Chronicle, p. PG.

Morant, H. (2000). BMA demands more responsible media attitude on body image.

Pipher, M. Reviving Ophelia : Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Ballantine Reader's Circle). Ballantine Books, 1995.

Thiruchandran, S. (1994). Major Trends of Feminist Approach. Contemporary Women's Issues Database, 11-21.

Vargas, J. (1996). Expanding the popular culture debates: Puertorriquenas, Hollywood, and cultural identity. Studies in Latin American Popular Culture, 15, 155173.

Wolf, N. (1994). Fire With Fire. Fawcett Book Group .

Wolf, N. (1992). The Beauty Myth; Doubleday; Company, Incorporated.

Douglas, Susan J. (1994) Where the Girls Are. Epilogue

Show More
Related

  • Body Image Exploratory

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Self-esteem focuses on personal body outlook as a whole. Body esteem is how one feels about his/her own body. Body satisfaction is an evaluation of how one thinks about his/her own body. In A Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Media Images on Men’s Body-Image Concerns, the conclusion from the study conducted was that “pressure from the mass media was significantly related to men feeling worse about their own bodies.” When someone’s esteem is lowered, depression can occur. This is an extremely dangerous negative effect from the media because this can lead to self-harm, or worse, suicide. From the study, it can be concluded that extremely muscular and “ideal” male body image types that the media portrays negatively affect how men think, feel, and see themselves on a daily basis (Barlett, et

    Read More

  • Media and Body Image

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hass, Cheryl J., et al. "An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem." College Student Journal 46.2 (2012): 405-418. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • How the Media Affects the Self Esteem and Body Image of Young Girls

    1041 Words  | 3 Pages

    The misconception of what is beautiful can be detrimental to young girls. In a television industry attempt to sell goods, they are depicted as sexy. Creating a need for parents to intervene and present a more realistic and normal view of physical beauty. Today, TV presents sexually based images crafted to appeal to young girls. Unfortunately, they are led to believe that their value is only deep, causing flawed expectations, illusions, and wrong information about the truth of the physical body in the real world.

    Read More

  • Dangers of Advertisments in Jean Kilbourne' Killing Us Softly

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a brilliant update of the Killing Us Softly series, Jean Kilbourne explains the dangers of advertisements and how they objectify women. Advertisements intelligently portray women in a sexual and distorted way in order to attract the consumers’ attention. Media sets a standard on how young women view themselves and puts them at risk for developing an eating disorder. Kilbourne’s research has led her to educate those who have fallen victim to achieving the “ideal beauty” that has evolved in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Female Body Image and the Mass Media

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion it is possible to see how the media promotes a physical and psychological disease among women through the usage of unrealistic body images as it urges them to change their bodies, buy “enhancing” products, and redefine their opinions. Such statements may appear to be ridiculous, but for young women who are seeking to perfect their body according to how the media portrays “good looks” it is the basis for corruption. Confidence, contentment and healthy living are the keys to a perfect and unique body image and no amount of money can advertise or sell as genuine a treatment as this.

    Read More

  • Propaganda from the Beauty Industry

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...r young, impressionable mind will have been exposed to more than 77,000 advertisements, according to an international study. Last week, it confirmed the link between the images of female perfection that dominate the media and increasing cases of low self-esteem among young women..” (Shields,2007). The propaganda techniques such as liking, sex appeal, and celebrity endorsements are used in advertisements constantly. Commercials on television, billboards, magazines, and various other advertisement types are everywhere you look in America, and sadly it has become very important for women of all ages to try to be perfect. We come into contact with these messages every day, and the beauty industry is getting bigger and bigger. Propaganda has molded our worldly perception of beauty and will only continue to hurt us and gain from our lack of self-esteem if we allow it to.

    Read More

  • Reasons Why Women Develop a Negative Body Image

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dittmar, Helga. "How Do "body Perfect" Ideals in the Media Have a Negative Impact on Body Image and Behaviors? Factors and Processes Related to Self and Identity." : Sussex Research Online. N.p, 6 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Media Influence on Body Image

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holmstrom, A. (2004). The effects of the media on the body image: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 48(2), 196-217.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Advertising on Women's Body Image

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    To sum up, it is often said that advertising is shaping women gender identity, and some have been argued that the statement is true, because of the higher amount of sexual references of women that advertisement show and the damages that occur on women’s personality and the public negative opinions of those women. As well, the negative effects that those kinds of advertisements cause to young generations and make them feel like they should simulate such things and are proud of what they are doing because famous actors are posting their pictures that way. Others deem this case as a personal freedom and absolutely unrelated to shaping women gender identity. On the contrast, they believe that, those sorts of advertisements are seriously teaching women how to stay healthy and be attractive, so they might have self-satisfaction after all.

    Read More

  • Effects of Media on Women’s Body Image

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this age, media is more pervasive than ever, with people constantly processing some form of entertainment, advertisement or information. In each of these outlets there exists an idealized standard of beauty, statistically shown to effect the consumer’s reflection of themselves. The common portrayal of women’s bodies in the media has shown to have a negative impact on women and girls. As the audience sees these images, an expectation is made of what is normal. This norm does not correspond to the realistic average of the audience. Failing to achieve this isolates the individual, and is particularly psychologically harmful to women. Though men are also shown to also be effected negatively by low self-esteem from the media, there remains a gap as the value of appearance is seen of greater significance to women, with a booming cosmetic industry, majority of the fashion world, and the marketing of diet products and programs specifically targeting women.

    Read More

  • Media And Negative Body Image

    1134 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today’s Society and media in the 21st century has projected an unrealistic and unattainable standard on the female body and has made women feel pressured into believing they should look like the models. The media have manipulated and overly used the female body image in today’s society therefore body images for women often are exposed, exploited, and manipulated with false advertising. Due to the media platforms, Negative body image of women is a hot and controversial topic. The portrayed female body image implies what a female should or could look like in marketing and advertising is the focused issue. According to the media’s standards, thinness is considered attractive for women and we live in a society where media images of airbrushed

    Read More

  • Teenage Girls and Body Image

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    The advertising involved targets young teenage women and features models that portray desirable items, and the “norm” is for these women to be slender and beautiful (Vonderen & Kinnally, 2012). Research has been done to prove that the media’s pressure on being thin causes women to be depressive and have negative feelings about themselves. Women’s views are skewed and perceived incorrectly of what the typical female body should be (Haas, Pawlow, Pettibone & Segrist, 2012). Body image for women has always been stressed for them to look a certain way and to try to obtain “physical perfection.” But due to the pressure on women to be this certain way, it is common for the mass media to be destructive to the young, impressionable girl.

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotyping: The Negative Impacts Of Gender Stereotypes

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, it is evident that the media usually presents and sexualizes women who are “young, fit and beautiful” hence probably creating self esteem issues more than confidence especially in younger women who are religious towards the media’s expectations. This stereotype of being a desired body shape only forces women to meet unattainable perfect physical standards (Gill 2015). The media bombards the youth with gender representations and the types of bodies that are deemed to be attractive. Many teenagers all around the world are desperate to lose weight to be “beautiful”.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of Primary Socialization And Two Agents Of Socialisation

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    Vargas, L E. (2013) The Negative Effects of The Media on Body Image. Personal.psu.edu. Retrieved 30 Nov. 17 from:

    Read More

  • Perception Of Beauty Essay

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Show business promotes commercials, print advertisements, films and shows where unbelievably perfect women are seen as the ‘ideal beauty’ The ‘ideal beauty’ controls the behavior of young girls and manipulates their perception of beauty. The term ‘ideal beauty’ is defined to be a conception of something that is perfect, especially that which one seeks to attain. Many young girls everyday are exposed to fashion and beauty advertisements that feature models who are portrayed as ‘perfect’. Due to this Technological Age, girls are exposed to many advertisements that encourage them to be like the featured models- tall, skinny, and foreign. There is also a survey conducted by Renee Hobbs, EdD, associate professor of communications at Temple University which states that, “The average teenage girl gets about 180 minutes of media exposure daily and only about ten minutes of parental interaction a day.” Moreover, media also promotes and advertises cosmetics, apparel, diet pills and exercise gears in the name of beauty and fitness, convincing girls to buy and ultimately patronize their products. Becoming very addicted with using such products can eventually lead to overdoes and becoming vainer. It may seem obvious to most of us that people prefer to look at beautiful faces. While beauty itself may be only skin deep, studies show our perception of beauty may be hard-wired in our brains (Stossel,

    Read More

More about The Affect of Media Beauty Standards on Women's Self Esteem

Open Document