Media And Body Image Essay

750 Words3 Pages

Introduction: Every person has a certain perception of his or her physical features. This perception is created by various influences including parental guidance as well as educational instruction. However, with the increasing access to various forms of media, body awareness is often based on what the media presents as ‘acceptable’ or the ‘norm’. These media sources include TV, magazines, Facebook and many more. The perception is also created by the trend of a certain time and by what people regard as either acceptable or unacceptable. This perception is called body image, a picture of one`s own physical look established by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others. Someone’s body image can be influenced positively or negatively by the media. The role of advertisements: …show more content…

Research suggests that media advertising mainly impacts a woman`s body image negatively (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). On average a person sees 400-600 advertisements per day. The advertisements present beauty of unrealistic standards, distorting what true beauty is. The media flaunts girls with flawless figures and perfect skin. This creates pressure to look perfect rather than being healthy among females. On the other hand, as illustrated by Cassell and Gleaves (2006), different forms of media, like fitness magazines or TV advertisements often contribute to males’ negative perceptions of their bodies. A study indicated a strong correlation with the dissatisfaction level of teenage boys and the pictures they view in fitness