In class we have discussed how the media is the lens through which we view gender in pop culture. However, we have recently brought up the controversial issue of whether the media influences society, or whether society influences the media. There is no true answer to this question; however, shockingly, or maybe not so shockingly many professionals and researchers believe that the media plays a major role in influencing eating disorders among teenage girls. You may be wondering how this is so, and many different explanations have been researched; however I found the massive amounts of “attractiveness messages and images” and gender stereotypes of femininity to be the most intriguing. The media is the primary producer of “attractiveness messages” and is prominent in millions of teenage girl’s lives, because this is where they turn to for the latest news, trends and gossip. A recent study analyzed by the National Eating Disorders Association shows that for girls, “the media is main source of information about women’s health issues” and that an average of 3 to 4 hours of television is watched daily (“The Media, Body Image”). This suggests that the bulk of information which creates a teenager’s perspective of what it means to be “a woman” comes from the media. Furthermore, other studies also reveal that that “1 out of every 3.8 commercials send some sort of “attractiveness message,” telling viewers what is or is not attractive,” and it has been estimated that “the average adolescent sees over 5,260 “attractiveness messages” per year” (“The Media, Body Image”). These statistics clearly convey that not only is the media a prominent resource for teenage girls but the media also puts extreme emphasis on appearance, attractiveness, thinness and beauty.
Personally, I feel that the media does play a role in influencing eating disorders, mostly by strongly correlating and portraying the female gender in relation to beauty and thinness. This can be absolutely detrimental to our youth and media corporations need to take a stand in portraying more realistic images of females and of beauty.
-KB
"The Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders." National Eating Disorders Association. 2006. NEDA. 30 Mar. 2008 file_ID=41166>. Herman, Mike. "The Media's Influences on Eating Disorders." 4 Health Concerns. 2008. 1 Apr.2008 influence-on-eating-disorders.htm?maxi>.Jade, Deanne. "Eating Disorders and the Media." National Center for Eating Disorders. 2002. The British Medical Association. 30 Mar. 2008. 
9 comments:
This was an interesting post. I agree completely. The media does have such an influence on the way we view ourselves and others, especially in regard to appearance. With people spending more time watching TV, the more they are exposed to these thin beauty ideals for women. With all this media exposure, I think it's extremely difficult not to internalize these ideals for ourselves. Some advertising companies are taking the steps to implicate changes into what our society views as "ideal." Think of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, featuring women who aren't necessarily a size zero or your stereotypical "beauty." I think if more people started recognizing that the current beauty standards are completely unrealistic, we can make changes to see what really encompasses beauty.
It is truly a shame that such an emphasis is placed on individuals' physical characteristics in our society. I agree that the media is very influential in creating the image of ideal and defining our society's standard of beauty. Simply visit a museum and take a look at the statues from Greek and Roman times. Women were portrayed realistically, with curves and lumps and bumps and all that is natural for an adult female. Even the Roman statues of Aphrodite would be considered chunky by today's standard. That unfortunate and unrealistic standard of beauty the media embraces is not often attainable for women. Hopefully there are still people who can look at a normally formed woman and understand that there is a great beauty present there as well.
When I looked at the picture you put up, I turned to my fiance and said "Ew, how gross! I bet she'll break in half if she ever falls."
Very interesting blog, and I agree 100% that the media influences society. I absolutely hate seeing those -4 sized models. Young females today have to be shown that being attractive is being yourself and have an attractive personality. Thinness is not attractive at all. However, if a young female wants to be 'in shape' by eating healthy and exercising, that is okay because it will help them be healthier later in life.
I was happy and annoyed with the one America's Next Top Model Winner. I was glad that a person won who looked normal and not anorexic thin. However, I was annoyed because they called her plus-size. To me, she looked more attractive than any other contestant because she looked healthy.
This post represents an issue that has been going on for years. Society raises young girls to idolize the women who look sickly. This also represents differences in culture. Spain has put bans and regulations on how thin runway models can be. Other nations have followed Spain, but the US is still left in the dust.
When a model is a normal, healthy weight she is considered plus size. Young girls associate plus size with being overweight. So these impressionable young girls strive to be thin and try to look like Kate Moss. It is sad, but hopefully Spain's trends catch on and we will soon see a change on runways.
You've chosen to focus on a very important real-life issue. You've clearly identified a tangible way in which pop culture influences and shapes identity and experience.
this blog is so true even if you look at previous blogs like the one about the hills, all the girls on that show are ridiculously and for most girls unobtainably thin. i actually recently read an article that sited a couple of young models who died from complications from anorexia. of course the pressure on models to be thin is going to be more than the average american girl, but theres definitely a trickle down effect. this is definitely one case where the media does in a way shape society.
I agree 100%- the media does have a huge influence on today's society. The media portrays the ideal girl to be extremely thin. These ideal figures on the TV or in magazines are somewhat unrealistic to the average woman in today's society. When girls who are not extremely thin (or who don't have perfect skin) see these perfect girls on TV shows, such as The Hills or The Real 90210, or in magazines, it most definitely lowers their self-esteem because they feel as though they are "fat". This affects one's eating behaviors which, inturn, leads to a high rate of eating disorders (especially among teenage girls).
Personally, I feel as though half of the models I see on TV or in magazines are disgusting because they are too skinny.
I agree with your post too. It's very interesting how media plays such a huge role in our lives. But I think it's really sad that girls will let themselves worry and live their lives trying to look like the models or actresses on television. And eventually they worry so much that they can develop eating disorders, all for a look that's thought to be "beautiful". It's a shame society knows the statistics, the fact that media is influencing eating disorders, and still, nothing has been changed.
Post a Comment