Preview

Media Body Image

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
926 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Media Body Image
1.0 Introduction

In recent years, media has grown to become a very powerful tool in influencing viewer’s perception on body image. The body image of an individual, which is the subjective sense of the body, can be seen as a core component of personality. This personality is seen as one of the most important values in today’s society, especially in the western cultures.

With so much importance placed on body image in the world today, individuals, especially young women going through body enhancement and modifications in order to achieve their ideal self-image. The influence of the media has increased the public’s interest on plastic surgery, dieting, weight loss products and even cosmetics or fragrances have been seen with individual that cares about body image.
…show more content…
“Who 's reading newspapers?”, Journal on Market Research 128 (45): 2-24. http://0-search.proquest.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/docview/194291420?accountid=12629 Timothy A. Judge and Daniel M. Cable, 2004. “The Effect of Physical Height on Workplace Success and Income: Preliminary Test of a Theoretical Model”, Journal of Applied Psychology 89 (3): 428-441. 10.1037/0021-9010.89.3.428 Richard W. Robins, Kali H. Trzesniewski, Jessica L. Tracy and Samuel D. Gosling, 2002. “Global Self-Esteem Across the Life Span”, Journal Psychology and Aging 17 (3): 423–434. 10.1037//0882-7974.17.3.423 Carol T. Miller and Kathryn T. Downey, 1999. “A Meta-Analysis of Heavyweight and Self-Esteem”, Journal on Personality and Social Psychology 3 (1): 68-84. 10.1207/s15327957pspr0301_4 Wang, KD Brownell and TA Wadden, 2004. “The influence of the stigma of obesity on overweight individuals”, International Journal of Obesity 28 (1): 1333–1337. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802730 Anne Case and Christina Paxson, 2008. “Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and LaborMarket Outcomes”, Journal of Political Economy 116 (3): 499-532.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cross 9e TBB U05

    • 464 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jim is shorter than Kevin, and Lonna is less attractive than Merilyn. Research shows that compared with taller men and more attractive individuals, Jim will likely make less income and Lonna will receive poorer performance reviews and a lower salary. Appearance-based discrimination has been barred by…

    • 464 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Annotated Bibliography

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sowislo analyzed 18 studies on anxiety and self-esteem and an additional 77 studies on depression and self-esteem. She looked at the vulnerability factors of each symptom and assessed the impact they had on each other. The data she reviewed were collected from individuals ranging in age from early childhood to late adulthood. The studies Sowislo chose were conducted using a variety of measurements and time periods, allowing for a broad review of data. The final analyses revealed a strong relationship between self-esteem and depression but a weak one for depression and self-esteem. Specifically, Sowislo found that decreases in self-esteem were predictive of increases in depression. But she found only minimal evidence for depression decreasing self-esteem. However, when she looked at self-esteem and anxiety, Sowislo found that the relationship was more reciprocal, with both self-esteem and anxiety negatively affecting each other in similar ways. These findings provide additional and clear evidence of the importance of self-esteem in…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Judge, T. A., & Cable, D. M. (2004). The effect of physical height on workplace success…

    • 4791 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Many things can affect one’s body perception such as peers and family but most importantly the influences within the media can have the biggest affect on how one sees themselves. In some ways people can control the social factors that negatively affect their body perception. However, the mass media is every where and can be hard to avoid. Past research indicates that by the time a girl turns 6 she is already dissatisfied with her body image (Hayes & Tantleff,2010). The social standards of today emphasizes the need for women to be thin and blemish free, setting a physical expectation of beauty that is beyond impossible to reach ( Tiggemann, 2003). It is said that media is the most influential…

    • 1894 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Body image has had a major influence in today’s general media. Different types of sources have been displayed both online and offline. For example, pictures have been posted, blogs have been viewed, websites have been created, newspaper and magazine articles have been read and television shows have been produced. Body image is described as how you see yourself, how you think others see you and how you feel about the way you look. It is influenced by many things including appearance, size, gender, skin, culture, build, weight, etc. In today’s world, body image can lead to a positive influence, but also can cause a negative image, influenced by both individual and environmental factors.…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Thus, negative stereotypes and stigmas are placed upon the obese, further strengthening their label of deviancy. In a recent study conducted by Yale University, the perceived social consensus on attitudes toward obese people was tested. Three experiments were created towards educating the participants on the issue of obesity in hope of reducing the bias stereotypes and stigmas our society has successfully created towards the obese. (Puhl, Shwartz, Brownell, 2005). The study describes how the consensus attitude towards obesity prevents the reduction of stigmatizing and excluding the obese from mainstream society as people in general feel a sense of ‘security’ and ‘approval’ in following the beliefs of the majority. Thus, if we as a society take greater acknowledgment in the causes of obesity and perhaps even empathize towards those labeled as obese; the idea of obesity as being a form of deviance could potentially shift throughout the long term. The ways in which the ‘obese’ are acknowledged through the…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, stigmatized individuals experience discrimination, either blatant or subtle. Second, in order to experience this discrimination, they must be aware that they are devalued in the eyes of others. The third aspect of social stigma is that stigmatized individuals are likely to be aware of the stereotypes that others hold of their social groups. Finally, they may feel uncertainty about the causes of events in their lives. They may be uncertain if negative outcomes come from lack of worthiness or if they are due to discrimination and if positive events come from another person’s sympathy for their stigmatized status or their desire to avoid the effects of discrimination (Crocker, 2000). More specifically, weight stigma is referred to as the ‘negative weight-related attitudes and beliefs that are manifested by stereotypes, rejection and prejudice towards individuals because they are overweight or obese’ (Puhl, Moss-Racusin, Schwartz, & Brownell, 2007, p. 347). Obesity stigma is present in various settings including home life, workplaces, educational institutions, medical institutions, and other social environments (Puhl & Brownell, 2001). Overweight individuals are regarded as less qualified for jobs (Vartanian, Pinkus and Smyth, 2014), which can have detrimental effects on self esteem. Furthermore, obesity stigma is especially pervasive within North American societies and has consequences to one’s…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Body Image and Media

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The idea of the ‘perfect’ body is pasted everywhere in the media. Whether it’s on the catwalk, in Hollywood, or in glossy magazines, the message is clear: skinny is sexy, or if you’re a guy, six packs are definitely in. With these sorts of media messages bombarded at us every single day, it is pretty hard to be happy with our bodies and have high self-esteem, unless, you already have the body that the media and the fashion industry thinks is ideal. And so what is ‘ideal’? Well, for women it’s thin, long legs, relatively tall, flawless skin. For men it’s muscular, tall, and just look ‘manly’ in general.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

    • 1768 Words
    • 8 Pages

    <br><li>Grigsby, Channing. "A Course in Self-Esteem: 5. Sources of Low Self-Esteem." Online Posting. 17 July 2001 <http://www.getnewvisions.com/se/05crse_sources.html>.…

    • 1768 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Obese People Stigmas

    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This article reflects on the stigmas of obese people and how obese people are treated because of it. According to this article, obese people are not viewed as equals to thin people. The average person connect being obese with being lazy and ugly. This is perpetuated through openly ridiculing obese people for attributes that most likely are not true to their character. Most of society does not take into account the factors of genetics, environment, and poverty when calling someone repulsive or unmotivated due to their size. With the increase of obesity, there is also an increase in negative stereotypes and discrimination. The author of the article, Dr. Carolyn C. Ross, proposes that instead of shaming obese people, society should try to promote…

    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Coaching and Mentoring

    • 2129 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Leonardelli, G. J. and Arkin, M. A. (2002) Self-doubt and self-esteem: A threat from within. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(3), pp. 395-408.…

    • 2129 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Media Body Image

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    According to kissmyassets.wordpress.com, in the article, One Girl’s Reaction to Teen Celeb. Over Exposure, celebrities are wearing skimpier outfits everyday. There is less of them to cover now that skinny is the new “normal” trend.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Media Body Image

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    look. Some have even gone as far as going under the knife and getting plastic or cosmetic surgery. It…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Body Image In The Media

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What is Body Image? Body Image is the way that people picture themselves and how they think other people picture them. It’s basically how someone feels about their own body, physical appearance, height, shape, weight and many more things contribute to a person’s body image. The media can shape popular culture and often influence the public’s opinion. However, if the power of media is abused, it can harm the general population. Images portrayed by the media can cause a person to strive to be someone else’s idea of perfect while ignoring their own goals. The majority of the media often present ‘’the perfect body’’ hoping consumers will want to achieve this perfect body by using a certain product or idea. While this form of advertising could somewhat increase a product’s sales, many people will suffer from negative body image’s as a result of failing to achieve this ‘’perfect body.’’ As a result of these body images…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Body image, or the mental representation of what we think we look like, plays a crucial role in the development of self-esteem. Body image also influences emotions and behaviors in both men and women. Poor body image can be a driving force in giving those product companies the way in manipulating many to alter their lifestyles based on a distorted perception of their own body. However, customers have to be smart and know better to accept themselves. The media will never take responsibility for their influential actions in portraying unrealistic expectations of body images because sexuality sells. The feelings that it internalizes and the body dissatisfaction in women and children can be eased with proper education. “It’s better to talk about bodies in terms of their strength and abilities rather than their appearance” (Russo 234). We need to communicate to our children at an early age that the media is communicating a false conception of beauty, therefore encouraging them to love and value themselves. Feelings dissatisfaction about your body can cause serious health issues, mostly in women and young girls as they struggle for the unrealistic “perfect body” image that the media is conveying. Using diet pills like the Bodylab brand or other anti-aging cosmetics can actually help at a time, but their secondary effects can be fatal later one. Those beautiful models in those ads won’t tell you about what you may have to deal with in the long run, instead they will tell you what you want to hear and what you want to see to feel better about…

    • 1606 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays