Influence Of The Media In Forming Negative Body Image Among Females

We set out in this paper to explore the influence of the media in forming negative frame image among females. In the run of the research, we also looked at the influence of mediaprimarily TV watchingon males just to comp be the two groups and their responses to media images. Our findings reveal that although distortions in body image are growing among both males and females, females are especi onlyy vulnerable to body-image messages and respond to them with distorted behaviors around fareing and with lower self-esteem or self-image.These conclusions are supported but by or so of the work of Garner, Garfinkel, and Olmstead (1983) who claim that media exposure to stereotypes of very thin women models and reinforces the association between thinness and the characteristics such as physical attractiveness, desirability, personal self-worth, and success. This hind end lead to internalization of a thin ideal stereotype by females, which can result in distortion of the mental image of themselves (Downs & Harrison, 1985 Ogletree, S.M. , Williams, S. W. , Raffeld, P. , Mason, B. , & Fricke, K. , 1990 Salmons, Lewis, Rogers, Gotherer, & Booth, 1988). Indeed, Myers and Biocca (1992) claim that all 30 minutes of TV watch a day can alter a young womans perception of body shape. wherefore is this important? First, of all the effect of pervasive media influence, such as extensive TV watching and the reading of womens magazine which are full of victuals programs, are distorting the image of females perceptions of their ideal body image.Whereas, in some eras in history a Rubenesque or plump figure was considered a favorable body type, in this period of time the ideal type is an emaciated look. This distortion can lead to behaviors that create blistery dieting and exercise patterns that have the likely to seriously affect a young womans long-term health outlook and can lead to diseases such as Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia. A wink consideration is the role of self-imag e. It appears as something of a chicken-and-egg issue. That is, do media images cause lowered self-esteem and lead to unhealthy dieting and exercise behavior.Or does the practice of consistently unhealthy behaviors that dont lead to the distorted image that is imagined by some women cause lowered self-esteem? In an article on the Media Awareness Network, it is claimed that all this media barrage leaves the message that women are always in need of adjustment so that whether it starts with the chicken or the egg the woman is going after a mostly unattainable goal of extreme thinness and thus cant win and will ultimately end up with a lowered self-image.The third point is that the media benefit from the constant message that women are inadequate. The article on the Media Awareness Network cites the fact that the diet, cosmetic, and plastic surgery industries are direct beneficiaries of womens feelings that their body images are inadequate. They state that, By presenting an ideal diffi cult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And its no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty.Such women are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, diet aids, and memberships to health clubs. Obviously, this is a situation where a need is created, a consumer is convinced of the need, and services and products are introduced to fill the need. What are some of the considerations that exist that are exhausting to address and disrupt this unhealthy contract? The article on the Media Awareness Network states that There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck the trend.For some(prenominal) years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chtelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. There was also significant attention to the mode ls for Dove cosmetic products, who were average-sized women. These ads appeared in magazines and on TV. An informal scan of TV ads and programs might show some average-sized women, but they are still few and far between. Our unfortunate conclusion is that the fantasy image of a super-thin woman still sells products.