Introduction As the medias prominence in society continues to grow at an alarming rate, with over 33 million Americans spending over $175 billion annually on magazines, 4 hours on average spent daily watching TV, and more then 1.4 billion active Facebook users alone, its influence on its users lives is a certainty. Media can shape the ideas, values, norms, and behaviors of the people who consume it. (Guimera, Levine, Carracedo, Fauquet) This has become especially evident for women in today’s society as these perpetually present TV screens, advertisements, movies, and Internet sites are filled with an unrealistic female ideal, ranging from weight and beauty to the careers they can have. In fact, the medias portrayal of the female body is not
…show more content…
(Conlin & Bissell) Particularly in women’s health magazines, a place where women go to predominantly seek health help, appearance and body transformations are the focus rather than health and nutrition. (Conlin & Bissell) Individuals principally acquire their health and nutrition information from media, and for magazines to then direct them to an unrealistic standard of body image as a health solution creates an unattainable standard women can in no way meet. (Willis and Westerick) According to Willis and Westerick a study analyzing women’s magazines uncovered that only 6% of models in either fashion or health magazines had a soft, round body type. Various studies describe this as the “thin-ideal.” Thin-ideal identifies being thin as a beauty ideal set by the media. This thin-ideal is an unrealistic “thinner than average body” and constructs a cycle of negative effects for women who inevitably fail to meet this beauty standard. (Ura & Preston) When women observe a body type or representation of a female as a standard of beauty and subsequently never attain it, it leads to body dissatisfaction. What they seek to attain is unachievable however due to the medias portrayal of it as valid leads to a vicious cycle of never feeling satisfied. The medias representation of body image and dissatisfaction largely contributes to body image issues in women. (Ura & Preston) The long-term …show more content…
According to Gordon and Kilborne in the US more then 50% of women are on a diet and more then three fourths are unhappy with their current size. In fact, in a study researching the effects of TV on girls on the Island of Fiji found that after TV became available on the island 11.3% of girls began vomiting for weight loss purposes compared to the 0% before TV and 74% of girls felt fat or unhappy with their image. (Lopez-Guimera, Levine, Carracedo, Fauquet) Television adds an entirely new dimension to the affects of media on women as the average teenager watches over 20 hours of TV per week (Harrison) and TV largely frames looking perfect and beauty as ideas of happiness. (Guimera, Levine, Carraced, Fauquet) This distorted vision of the world can be seen on reality TV shows, networks entirely devoted to entertainment and celebrity culture and interviews made up completely of discussing a women’s appearance. (Feasey) Smolack and Levine in a 2006 study suggest that beginning in middle childhood girls begin to form a “thinness schema.” Individuals use the way the media frames message to make sense of the world around them (Baran & Davis) and according to scheme theory “females are likely to embrace beliefs, memories, assumptions, and feelings revolving around ‘‘ideas’’ such as (a) beauty constitutes the primary goal in a woman’s life; (b) a slim body is a fundamental component of beauty, physical
(Conlin & Bissell) Particularly in women’s health magazines, a place where women go to predominantly seek health help, appearance and body transformations are the focus rather than health and nutrition. (Conlin & Bissell) Individuals principally acquire their health and nutrition information from media, and for magazines to then direct them to an unrealistic standard of body image as a health solution creates an unattainable standard women can in no way meet. (Willis and Westerick) According to Willis and Westerick a study analyzing women’s magazines uncovered that only 6% of models in either fashion or health magazines had a soft, round body type. Various studies describe this as the “thin-ideal.” Thin-ideal identifies being thin as a beauty ideal set by the media. This thin-ideal is an unrealistic “thinner than average body” and constructs a cycle of negative effects for women who inevitably fail to meet this beauty standard. (Ura & Preston) When women observe a body type or representation of a female as a standard of beauty and subsequently never attain it, it leads to body dissatisfaction. What they seek to attain is unachievable however due to the medias portrayal of it as valid leads to a vicious cycle of never feeling satisfied. The medias representation of body image and dissatisfaction largely contributes to body image issues in women. (Ura & Preston) The long-term …show more content…
According to Gordon and Kilborne in the US more then 50% of women are on a diet and more then three fourths are unhappy with their current size. In fact, in a study researching the effects of TV on girls on the Island of Fiji found that after TV became available on the island 11.3% of girls began vomiting for weight loss purposes compared to the 0% before TV and 74% of girls felt fat or unhappy with their image. (Lopez-Guimera, Levine, Carracedo, Fauquet) Television adds an entirely new dimension to the affects of media on women as the average teenager watches over 20 hours of TV per week (Harrison) and TV largely frames looking perfect and beauty as ideas of happiness. (Guimera, Levine, Carraced, Fauquet) This distorted vision of the world can be seen on reality TV shows, networks entirely devoted to entertainment and celebrity culture and interviews made up completely of discussing a women’s appearance. (Feasey) Smolack and Levine in a 2006 study suggest that beginning in middle childhood girls begin to form a “thinness schema.” Individuals use the way the media frames message to make sense of the world around them (Baran & Davis) and according to scheme theory “females are likely to embrace beliefs, memories, assumptions, and feelings revolving around ‘‘ideas’’ such as (a) beauty constitutes the primary goal in a woman’s life; (b) a slim body is a fundamental component of beauty, physical