Media And Negative Body Image

In this era, both men and women are obsessed with beauty and obtaining perfect bodies to be accepted by society. The majority of the population can be found on social sites or watches numerous hours of television a year, which contain advertisements and product placement. The media is responsible for creating the idea of what body image and beauty standards are accepted. Body image plays a very important role in our society in shaping our identities. Advertisements can have both benefits and damages depending on the illustration, model, and message. In the United States, the damages associated with negative body image is a significant problem as young adolescents, in an effort to adhere to the supposed criterion of beauty, consequently develop
eating disorders, and other disorders that pose a threat to their health. Not only are harmful medical conditions an issue, but there can also be hidden implications promoted in advertisements that look to encourage a certain type of behavior in both men and women. The media has the power to shape a person’s identity and behavior in either a positive or negative way; however, by establishing unattainable standards of beauty, and promoting hidden implications through subliminal messages, the media drives society to dissatisfaction with their body images, which causes various disorders, in order to achieve these unreachable goals.