Introduction
This assignment will access the gender role of women with regard to the media and possibly contribute to the debate about the way in which women are represented and portrayed in the media. Additionally, it will discuss how society has perceived it, with relation to body image, equality, and how the media influences has enabled development of certain female societal norms. Furthermore, it will emphasise how the mass media’s acceptance and coverage of these topics has had an adverse effect in relation to female social norms.
The media play an integral role within the modern world by transmitting information and entertaining many people. While doing so, this information and entertainment influences people’s attitudes, opinions,
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Magazines, Newspapers, Television, Facebook and the Internet are just some of the various media which influence us in how we should look. Magazines are very popular, especially ones which demonstrate the latest trends, products and styles. These magazines contain images of people who are considered attractive for advertising purposes but offer a false representation of gender roles in society. “Studies have shown that participants who viewed advertisements featuring a Thin-Idealized woman, reported greater state self-objectification, weight-related anxiety, negative mood and body dissatisfaction.”(Fredrickson and Roberts, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1997 p173-206). Reviewing the results of the study, while realizing that these magazines are so popular, it is easy to comprehend why teenagers conform to this social media expectation. However, this conformity and obsession amongst teenage girls and body image has had a physical negative impact too. Research has suggested that this Thin Ideal for women promoted by the media is connected to the elevated rates of eating disorders amongst females. Frequent media coverage of the Thin Ideal directs women to internalize this stereotype. “This internalization heightened body dissatisfaction and because it sets unrealistic body dimension goals. Body dissatisfaction was in turn expected …show more content…
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