media, effect of media, women's body image, ideal body, models, weight, beauty standards
Every form of popular media presents a sociocultural standard for feminine beauty. No single outlet is without conviction in this instance. The female audience is contaminated with the portrayal of the "ideal body." Often, the standards presented are not physically achievable by the female audience. The primary reason for the previous identification is the health factors involved. Most models included in the media are below the healthy weight. Consequently, the media implicitly sends a damaging message to the female audience. Any woman in the audience may assume an unhealthy standard. An abundance of research suggests that women's body image is negatively affected by the media's exposure to unrealistic beauty standards.
[...] However, there are rare cases of excess dieting. This may cause bulimic symptoms. Eating disorders Disordered eating patterns may arise when the internalized ideal body is similar to the socially represented ideal body. (Field, Austin, Camargo, Taylor, Striegel-Moore, Loud, & Colditz, 2005) Eating disorders may arise when girls are dissatisfied with their body and proactively attempt to change their appearance. Roughly 20 million women in America suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life. Social media has initiated a new layer of pressure to meet sociocultural standards. [...]
[...] Media images are influential in the decreased confidence due to the presence of unattainable or unrealistic images. (Field, Austin, Camargo, Taylor, Striegel-Moore, Loud, & Colditz, 2005) On the contrary, there are actually some shows that boost women's confidence. These shows are primarily minority-oriented. Reports show that Hispanic and Black women have higher body satisfaction after watching certain shows. (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008) The shows are black-oriented. The more the subjects watch, the higher their body satisfaction is. The television shows serve as a protective function. [...]
[...] (Derenne & Beresin, 2006) Self-schema Lastly, the self-schema theory may be observed to put the negative effect of the media on women's body image. Under this theory, the women identify with three points of reference when comparing their physical appearance. The first point of reference is the ideal body represented by society. Second, the women compare themselves with the objective body. The final point of comparison is the internalized ideal body. (Field, Austin, Camargo, Taylor, Striegel-Moore, Loud, & Colditz, 2005) The depiction of women in the media involves the socially represented body. [...]
[...] The primary media outlet affecting women today is social media. While some women may not watch television or read magazines, the majority of women participate in social media. Most of the previous studies regarding the matter focus on “traditional” mainstream media. This may include, but is not limited to: magazines, movies, radio, television, and advertising. (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008) Television is one of the primary media outlets blamed for the negative impact on women's body image. There are rarely women of average or above average weight featured on television shows. [...]
[...] Exposure to the mass media, body shape concerns, and use of supplements to improve weight and shape among male and female adolescents. Pediatrics, 116(2), e214-e220. Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008). The role of the media in body image concerns among women: a meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies. Psychological bulletin, 134(3), 460. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
