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Media is a very important social institution. Through media, the dominant ideologies of America can be transmitted. Unfortunately, the popular belief in America about body image is that women should be thin and pretty. This can be seen in magazines and television shows, along with many other forms of media. If you turn on the television, you are likely to see a beautiful, tall woman with perfect skin and hair in a Maybelline commercial, or a beautiful, thin woman in a sitcom. The average woman is not portrayed through the mass media.
People internalize the values presented by the media, which gives them negative feelings about their own bodies because their bodies are typically very different.
A study was reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation that stated that children between the ages of eight and eighteen watch about 4.29 hours of television a day. This means that for 4.29 hours a day, children are being exposed to men and women that are deemed appropriate to reach the masses.
The media promotes body objectification and internalization of the current beauty ideal, according to Lopez-Guimera et al. The current beauty ideal is that thinner is better.
Studies that prove media has a negative influence on the way girls and women view their bodies:
- Knauss, Paxton, and Alsaker (2007) of Switzerland found that pressures from the media about being thin positively correlated with body dissatisfaction.
- Jones et al. (2004) found that girls were more likely than boys to become invested in appearance-based magazines.
-Dittmar (2009) states in a meta-analysis, 25 experiments found that after exposure to thin ideal images, women felt worse about their body.
But, the media can be positive and shed light on the wrong-doings of other forms of media:
People internalize the values presented by the media, which gives them negative feelings about their own bodies because their bodies are typically very different.
A study was reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation that stated that children between the ages of eight and eighteen watch about 4.29 hours of television a day. This means that for 4.29 hours a day, children are being exposed to men and women that are deemed appropriate to reach the masses.
The media promotes body objectification and internalization of the current beauty ideal, according to Lopez-Guimera et al. The current beauty ideal is that thinner is better.
Studies that prove media has a negative influence on the way girls and women view their bodies:
- Knauss, Paxton, and Alsaker (2007) of Switzerland found that pressures from the media about being thin positively correlated with body dissatisfaction.
- Jones et al. (2004) found that girls were more likely than boys to become invested in appearance-based magazines.
-Dittmar (2009) states in a meta-analysis, 25 experiments found that after exposure to thin ideal images, women felt worse about their body.
- a recent study included 49 experiments and found the same thing, this study also found that with the high amounts of exposure to these images comes eating disorders, along with body dissatisfaction.
- media effects are especially negative for children because they can’t tell the difference between what image is real and what image has been altered with digital technology.
But, the media can be positive and shed light on the wrong-doings of other forms of media: