Elijah Ngule

 Body Image and the Media Fanessa Monee Sellers SOC 105 Society and the Media Professor Julie Doar-Sinkfield February 4, 2019 Body Image and the Media The increasing rate of exposure to media images is influencing the judgment of people about their body. It is the kind of information that is making people consider their bodies as substandard. Some of the questions that drive discussions on body image recently include what the ideal body structure is? Does the color of my skin matter and what are the solutions for having a perfect body? Therefore, people who use media images as a comparison for their body are discontented with them, support the cultural ideology that physical appearance is vital for social acceptance, and prone are to self-esteem problems. People who are discontented with their body develop this perspective because of the role of the media in the promotion of the ideal body structure and beauty. One of the ways that this ideology is encouraged by the media is through the use of beautiful models and individuals who meet the standards of the ideal body image in a television advertisement. According to the outcome of a study that was conducted by Spurr, Berry, and Walker (2013), a significant percentage of young girls and young women have once complained about a part of their body and would be willing to change this abnormality to meet the standard of the actors and models that they see on television and magazines. They added that the discontentment with the body structure is responsible for the high volume of body improvement products such as hair and cosmetics. Therefore, the adverse effect of media on body image is due to the emphasis of advertisers and organizations to use individuals with the physical appearance that are considered as the minimum standard for certain parts of the body. Meanwhile, the influence of the media in the projection of the ideal body image can be observed from the cultural perspective of young people that typical beauty standards and physical attributes set by television programs and magazine photos are required for social acceptance. Many young girls are raised with the belief that beauty and attractiveness are derived from the ideal body image, which is critical for becoming popular within their social groups. Also, this perspective about body image that is derived from the media is considered as the major requirement for success in some endeavors. Stephen and Perera (2014) claimed that adolescence is the period in the life of females that is filled with the dream of the future including career, relationships, and happiness thereby making them vulnerable to the images that displayed in the media about body weight, size, and shape. Consequently, this demographic become fixated on this cultural ideology to the point where it can be detrimental to their health and wellbeing, especially when several parts of their body are considered "not ideal." Furthermore, the influence of the media on the development of ideas about body image is considered negative due to its role in the creation of self-esteem problems. People with body image disturbances from the information that is derived from the media are known to lose confidence in their capabilities and potential to accomplish their goals (Mulgrew & Volcevski-Kostas, 2012). An example is the efforts that are invested in beauty routines and cost for purchasing products for flawless skin color. Although studies reveal that women are more prone to the self-esteem problems that emanate images from television and magazines, males have become more concerned about their physical appearance and attractiveness, primarily when the professional aspiration is based on how they look. An additional dimension of the problem is that low self-esteem is considered one of the sources of mental health disorders including anxiety and depressive mood disorders. Therefore, it is essential to consider measures for limiting the capacity of the media to distribute information about ideal images that are unrealistic or not based on other criteria for beauty and physical attractiveness. In conclusion, despite the argument that the images in the media have negative effects on the self-esteem of people and create discontentment in them, this information is more beneficial than recognized. The images of models and actors on television and in magazines are known to contribute to the development of unhealthy attitudes in people with weight problems that could lead to chronic health conditions. Also, the body images that are projected by media channels are considered as motivation for people to engage in cultural practices that promote social acceptance. Although these counter-arguments might appear tenable, the issue with them is that it fails to recognize the methods for internalizing the messages and percentage of young people that are adversely affected by the information on body image. References Mulgrew, K. E., & Volcevski-Kostas, D. (2012). Short term exposure to attractive and muscular singers in music video clips negatively affects men's body image and mood. Body Image, 9(4), 543-546. Spurr, S., Berry, L., & Walker, K. (2013). Exploring adolescent views of body image: The influence of media. Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing, 36(1-2), 17-36. Stephen, I. D., & Perera, A. T. M. (2014). Judging the difference between attractiveness and health: does exposure to model images influence the judgments made by men and women?. PloS one, 9(1), e86302.