Essay on Media’s Impact on Beauty and Body Image of Young...

It’s difficult to envision a world where idealized representations of females do not exist. However, before the creation of the mass media, our ideas of beauty were restricted to our own communities in which we live. When photography was introduced in 1839, real-life images of faces and bodies were not exposed to society. The likelihood of someone owning a mirror during that time was very rare. Today, however, one is considered odd if they do not own a mirror. Today we look for any excuse to look in the mirror as we have become more obsessed with our appearance than ever before. Given society’s standards, it is only natural to have some concern about appearance, but many people take the concern to far. According to Jane Kilborne, â€Å"Every†¦show more content†¦Even though diet and exercise to some degree can be a healthy practice for some people, many only partake in the practice to achieve the ideal figure. For many young people, especially girls, the ide al continues to chase them as they grow into young women. Young girls begin to internalize the stereotypes and judge themselves by media’s impossible standards. The power that the media holds in impacting the lives of young girls is detrimental and eventually affects their body image, their satisfaction of their own body, and portrayal of their body as an object. Researchers have discovered that â€Å"ongoing exposure to certain ideas can shape and distort our perceptions on reality.† (Mintz 2007) Because young girls are subjected to a constant display of beautiful people in the media, they have developed a negative body image of themselves. Those who have a negative body image perceive their body as being unattractive compared to others, while those with a positive body image will see themselves as attractive, or will at least accept themselves and be comfortable in their own skin. During adolescence, negative body image is especiallyShow MoreRelatedEssay about Media ’s Impact on Beauty and Body Image of Young Girls1638 Words   |  7 Pagesworld where idealized female imagery is not plastered everywhere, but our present circumstance is a relatively new occurrence. Before the mass media existed, our ideas of beauty were restricted to our own communities. Until the introduction of photography in 1839, people were not exposed to real-life images of faces and bodies. Most people did not even own mirrors. Today, however, we are more obsessed with our appearance than ever before. But the concern about appearance is quite normal and understandableRead MoreEssay about The Media’s Effect on Adolescent Bodies 1725 Words   |  7 PagesThe Media’s Effect on Adolescent Bodies The stringent standard Barbie-doll proportions of body image and what is considered beautiful in today’s media has resulted in devastating effects on adolescent women. The images displayed of women who have long beautiful legs, thin waist lines and smooth flawless skin are very hard to ignore. Throughout history the female body has been on display as a selling tool to coerce people into buying that new fancy car or the latest new appliance that can makeRead MoreA Culture Of Perfection : Media s Influence On Adolescents1362 Words   |  6 Pages A Culture of Perfection: Media’s Influence on Adolescents Comparison. It is one of the most dangerous and detrimental habits within our society. We fall into a routine of â€Å"self-checking† ourselves against others; mentally taking notes of what we can improve and what we are doing better. We all know that comparison often takes its’ toll on our confidence and self-worth; what we may not realize, however, is how early these destructive habits begin and why. 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Due to their malleable brains, adolescent females are subjected to the image of a perfect body through media’s adverse influence of what a quintessential girl is supposed to look like and the permanent impact it has on a girl’s life. The definition of body image stems from a subjective picture of one’s own physical appearance established by bothRead MoreThe Effects of Modern Body Image1380 Words   |  6 Pagesjudgment, and shame† (Brown, n.d.). Body image, on the other hand, â€Å"is a complicated aspect of the self-concept that concerns an individual’s perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance† (Serdar, n.d.). According to Nordqvist, it is divided into two perceptions: positive and negative body images. 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