Media Impact Society: Concretely Body Form - Essay Example

Media and Body Image Name Institution Date Introduction Over the past fifty years, media has undergone a lot of changes in its contents. Advertisements in the media have become a common phenomenon. This is mainly because it generates huge sums of money for the media houses. The media contents are highly influential and play a key role in the social lives of the people in the world (Cattarin, 2000). Currently it has become a trend for the media to advertise using models or beautiful women. Muscular men are also featured in most of the advertisements. Most of the women are usually role models while others are known super stars. This has greatly affected the society today. Most women have been influenced by these advertisements which have led them to practice various methods of ensuring that they become beautiful. This is mainly for the purpose of ensuring that they look like the superstars in the media. It has therefore become a belief among most women that having an impeccable figure is better than being fat. This belief has mainly emerged from the fact that most women who appear in the media advertisements have slender shapes. As for the men it has become a belief that being muscular is better as it attracts the attention of women (Groesz, 2002). The children have also been affected by the media since some programs portrays some characters in a negative way and thus influencing the judgment of the children. Most characters that are evil in cartoon programs are usually huge and fat while the good characters are usually thin. This has thus influenced the people greatly. The paper will thus discuss the influences of the media on the body image. Mass media and the body image Most characters in movies and televisions are usually very slender. Most of the characters are usually underweight with only a few being overweight. The media always uses thin and tall women in most of the advertisements. It is also common to find the magazines and newspapers having picture of thin women. This has created a culture of thinness in the society. This is considering the fact that most of the women in the advertisements and programs are very beautiful. This has thus greatly affected women of different ages. Some women who are below the age of twenty are usually influenced by characters in the movies or advertisements. This is mainly because they consider them as role models and would want to be like them. It has thus become common for most women trying to slim (Touyz, 2000). The widespread use of slender women on the media has created a situation where most women are not satisfied with their bodies (Webster, 2012). Most women have thus resorted to slimming using various methods. Some have resorted to using slimming pills while others have resorted to dieting and exercising. To some extent, some women have tried solving this issue by using surgery. It is therefore very common for women to try various methods of slimming. This is mainly the result of the media portraying slim women as cute and beautiful. The women are mostly affected considering the fact that they value their bodies a lot and would always want to look good all the time. The media has contributed to the situation worsening as some of the images are not real and such thinness cannot be achieved at all. It is also common to see that most of the celebrities are slender and thus the situation affects women from all walks of life. Any woman who is not slender is usually considered to be less attractive (Lavin, 2000). It is also common for the media to air programs which encourage women to loose weight. This is further worsening the situation as it affirms the believe that slender women are attractive than those who are fat. This media has this contributed to women being insecure about their bodies. Women who are fat will always be very insecure when it comes to relationship issues. The women will always think that their partners may not like the or find them attractive due to their body size (Pinhas, 1999). This has therefore resulted to most women trying to slim by all means. Among most teenagers, it is common for them to slim. The main reason is that they will get more attention from the opposite sex if they are slim. This has thus made most of the girls who are not slim to be very uncomfortable with their bodies. This issue has thus affected the dietary of most women. In most cases most women will always eat little food in a bid to ensure that they do not become fat and face cricism from the opposite sex. The diet of most women has thus been affected greatly which is not healthy to the society. This is mainly because most women cannot perform certain tasks which require energy. It is therefore important for the women to stick to their diets in a bid to become slim. Most of the women who are fat have received a lot of criticism from the public due to their body size. The situation has been worsened by the fact that most fat women have been unable to find partners and thus increased their desperation. The media has thus created a lot of stress for the fat women. It is also common for men to be attracted to women who are slender as compared to those who are fat. This situation has made the women to become quite desperate as they seek to loose weight and become attractive like the women in the media. It is also common for women to appear in most of the advertisements. This is mainly because it is believed that the women will attract more attention and thus the sale of the goods. This compares women with objects since it signifies that the women have some mechanism of seducing buyers just like the way they seduce men in real life (Lavine, 1999). The situation has also affected the men in different ways. This is considering the fact that most of the men who appear in advertisement and movies are muscular. It is very rare to see skinny men appearing in any advertisement. This has put a lot of pressure on men who are not muscular. The media has thus created a situation whereby muscular men are more attractive as compared to those who are skinny and slender. A muscular man is always considered to be a super hero by the media. The women have also contributed to the situation. It is always very common for muscular men to find attraction from the opposite sex compared to the slim and skinny men. Most of the slim men have had a tough time as they are always looked down upon by the women. The slim men have thus resorted to a lot of means to make them muscular. Most of the slender men will always prefer working out at the gym so as to become muscular. They thus end up practicing a lot so as to become muscular. On the other hand, the diet of thin men has greatly been affected. Most of them will end up eating junky food in a bid to make themselves muscular and attract attention of the women (Garfinkel, 1997). It has worked for some while in others it has not. The media has thus put a lot of pressure on thin men. In a desperate move, some have ended up using drugs like steroids so as to become muscular this is quite dangerous considering the fact that it increases the chances of a heart attack. Unhealthy eating habits are also dangerous as it also leads to diseases. The men have thus been greatly affected by the media which always portray the muscular men as attractive. It has thus made life for slender men quite difficult since they find it hard to attract members of the opposite sex (Gauntlett, 2005). The children have also not been left out by the media advertisements and programs. This is mainly because some of the movies portray some characters in a certain way. This is considering the fact that children are more concerned about the characteristics of the people. In most of the Disney movies, the bad guys are usually overweight and ugly while the good characters are usually slim and beautiful. It is also evident that most bullies in the children programs are usually overweight and ugly. The media thus creates a certain perception about the people who are overweight. Most of the children who are overweight will always be looked down upon by their friends. This creates a lot stress for the overweight children and it affects them psychologically. Most of the children will always overweight will always have a lot of difficult time when it comes to having friends. This is mainly because the other children will always be afraid of them or despise them due to their body image. This is mainly as a result of the media advertisements and programs which are quite selective when it comes to body image (Kellner, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that the media has greatly affected the body image. This is mainly by portraying the slim women as attractive, muscular men as attractive and over weight people as less attractive. The situation has been worsened by the media and it has become a perception of the people that certain characteristic in men and women makes them attractive. This has lead to several desperate moves by both men and women in a bid to make them attractive. This has greatly affected the diets of both men and women and thus leading to dangerous eating habits. On the other hand, it has become normal for both men and women to use pills for the purpose of achieving their desired results. This increases the chances of diseases and thus leads to unhealthy lifestyle. It is thus evident that the media has a lot of impacts on the image of the people allover the world with people of all walks of life falling for its traps. References Cattarin, J. (2000). Body image, mood, and televised images of attractiveness: the role of social comparison. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19, 220-239.  Garfinkel, P. (1997) Handbook of Treatment for Eating Disorders. 2nd Edition  Groesz, L.(2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: a meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 1-16.  Touyz, S. (2000). The effect of body dissatisfaction on women’s perceptions of female celebrities.  International Journal of Eating Disorders, 341-347.  Lavin, M, et al (2000). Effects of exposure to information about appearance stereotyping and discrimination on women’s body images, 51-58.   Lavine, H. et al (1999). Depicting women as sex objects in television advertising: Effects on body dissatisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1049-1058. Pinhas, L. et al (1999). The effects of the ideal of female beauty on mood and body satisfaction. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 223-226. Gauntlett, D. (2005), Moving Experiences - Second Edition: Media Effects and Beyond, London: John Libbey Kellner, D. (2001), Media and Cultural Studies. UK: Blackwell Publishing Webster, I. (2012). Media and influence on women body language. Retrieved on 19 April 2012 from, Read More

The widespread use of slender women on the media has created a situation where most women are not satisfied with their bodies (Webster, 2012). Most women have thus resorted to slimming using various methods. Some have resorted to using slimming pills while others have resorted to dieting and exercising. To some extent, some women have tried solving this issue by using surgery. It is therefore very common for women to try various methods of slimming. This is mainly the result of the media portraying slim women as cute and beautiful.

The women are mostly affected considering the fact that they value their bodies a lot and would always want to look good all the time. The media has contributed to the situation worsening as some of the images are not real and such thinness cannot be achieved at all. It is also common to see that most of the celebrities are slender and thus the situation affects women from all walks of life. Any woman who is not slender is usually considered to be less attractive (Lavin, 2000). It is also common for the media to air programs which encourage women to loose weight.

This is further worsening the situation as it affirms the believe that slender women are attractive than those who are fat. This media has this contributed to women being insecure about their bodies. Women who are fat will always be very insecure when it comes to relationship issues. The women will always think that their partners may not like the or find them attractive due to their body size (Pinhas, 1999). This has therefore resulted to most women trying to slim by all means. Among most teenagers, it is common for them to slim.

The main reason is that they will get more attention from the opposite sex if they are slim. This has thus made most of the girls who are not slim to be very uncomfortable with their bodies. This issue has thus affected the dietary of most women. In most cases most women will always eat little food in a bid to ensure that they do not become fat and face cricism from the opposite sex. The diet of most women has thus been affected greatly which is not healthy to the society. This is mainly because most women cannot perform certain tasks which require energy.

It is therefore important for the women to stick to their diets in a bid to become slim. Most of the women who are fat have received a lot of criticism from the public due to their body size. The situation has been worsened by the fact that most fat women have been unable to find partners and thus increased their desperation. The media has thus created a lot of stress for the fat women. It is also common for men to be attracted to women who are slender as compared to those who are fat. This situation has made the women to become quite desperate as they seek to loose weight and become attractive like the women in the media.

It is also common for women to appear in most of the advertisements. This is mainly because it is believed that the women will attract more attention and thus the sale of the goods. This compares women with objects since it signifies that the women have some mechanism of seducing buyers just like the way they seduce men in real life (Lavine, 1999). The situation has also affected the men in different ways. This is considering the fact that most of the men who appear in advertisement and movies are muscular.

It is very rare to see skinny men appearing in any advertisement. This has put a lot of pressure on men who are not muscular. The media has thus created a situation whereby muscular men are more attractive as compared to those who are skinny and slender. A muscular man is always considered to be a super hero by the media. The women have also contributed to the situation. It is always very common for muscular men to find attraction from the opposite sex compared to the slim and skinny men. Most of the slim men have had a tough time as they are always looked down upon by the women.

The slim men have thus resorted to a lot of means to make them muscular.

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