Is Body Image Affected By Mass Media Essay - 2192 Words

Throughout the twentieth century, mass media has helped shape American culture; however, not only culture is affected. Media has begun to change the way people view themselves and others. Body image is a significant part of a woman’s self-perception: it affects her self-esteem, her confidence, and her health practices. For generations since women gained the right to vote, media has taken an ever-tightening hold on body image. Women have been convinced for decades that in order to be a part of this male-dominated culture, they have to be able to do everything a man can do while wearing gorgeous clothes, staying slim, and doing other things to make themselves â€Å"beautiful.† Mass media has an immense impact on body image, and this relationship†¦show more content†¦When its power is not abused, mass media is a wonderful luxury, but when it falls into the hands of the egotistically motivated, it becomes a weapon of mass destruction, vaporizing any chance of allow ing a woman to choose her own opinion about her body – or anything else for that matter. Outside influences have a tremendous impact on body image. These influences range from family and friends to culture and religious beliefs. Parents’ roles in a child’s life tend to be the most influential – especially mothers’ roles in the lives of their daughters. When a woman has been influenced by the culture and media that surround her, she falls into a continuous cycle of weight gain and loss. Upon seeing their mothers struggle with body image and weight problems, it is implanted into young girls’ minds that the cycle is normal. Some mothers even recognize the problem that they have and apply this knowledge to â€Å"try to protect their daughters from falling into the same trap and try to push them further to be thin† (Almoayed 1). This constant push and pull causes a thorough confusion in the child’s mind and creates an informational vacuum in which all knowledge pertaining to weight or diet will be meshed and melded together. The influence of parents on a young girl, however, is oftentimes overpowered by the influence of her peers. Women and girls are not thoroughly encouraged to make bonds with other females, while men are bonded by political andShow MoreRelatedThe Between Media And Body Image1348 Words   |  6 Pagesconstructed by the society and by the media. But women are affected that kind of construction. Mass media give narrow definition about the standard of beauty. Delis noticed this massage everywhere, especially in the media, â€Å"I am so affected by Glamour magazine and Vogue and all that; I’m looking at all these beautiful women. They’re thin. I want to be just as beautiful. I want to be just as thin. Because that is what guys like† (Hesse-Biber, Sharlene Nagy 12). The media representation of the thin idealRead MoreMedia And Ethnic Identity Influencing Self Image1233 Words   |  5 PagesMass media plays a very huge role in the way in which young black women and adolescents see themselves. 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