Historically, the perception that females struggle with a lack of confidence or lowered sense of self-esteem appears to be widely accepted as fact. The perception has been that females have an underlying lack of trust in their own merit and this gender-based, diminished self-esteem has restrained success. Whether this perception is accurate and, if so, investigating the underlying causes for lowered female self-esteem have been a major topic for researchers.
Since the debate about levels of self-esteem as it relates to gender differences persist, an increasing number of peer-reviewed, scientifically sound studies have recently attempted to examine the implications of nature versus nurture, or inborn versus environmental factors, on the development of self-esteem. Any analysis of the relationship between self-esteem and gender, at the
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The media, such as television, magazines, the Internet, and movies have traditionally portrayed an unambiguous reflection of how society endorses a certain body image. The media depict girls and women as either thin or curvaceous, so they can display the viewer’s expectations and standards. Moreover, females who do not meet these seemingly stereotypical “body image standards,” often feel less self-assured about themselves and, therefore, try to uphold the perceived societal ideal by any means necessary. According to Tiggemann (2006), “First, women and girls’ own reports clearly indicate that they hold the media at least partly responsible for their negative feelings toward their bodies” (p. 524). By having these negative thoughts, women can harm their bodies by doing whatever they can to fit the expectations that the media seems to portray. The opinion of the public eye states that the norm of the mass media plays an essential role in the progression of eating disorders and the displeasures of one’s body (Tiggemann, 2006, p.