Media Influence On Body Image

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and felt disappointed? Or thought to yourself, “I wish I looked like them?” We may sometimes have an idea in our mind of what we think we should look like, compared to how we actually look. This is called body image dissatisfaction, otherwise known as a negative view upon ourselves. Body image issues are relevant all around the world. They impact both men and women of varied ages. These negative thoughts about ourselves can be influenced by many things, including the fashion industry. But how does fashion media impact our body image issues? Celebrities in the media can impact us negatively, but they don’t always have to be negative influences, they can be positive too, as well as different types
Seeing celebrities that we admire and aspire to look like can often make us feel dissatisfied with our physical appearance. Celebrities who are super skinny and always dressed nicely make us think twice about the way we look and might contribute to an eating disorder or low self-esteem. 97% of women admit to having at least one “I hate my body” moment each day (Media Influence, 2012). There are always stories of celebrities losing weight to fulfill what the media wants them to look like, because if they are not “perfect”, the criticism can be very harsh. They will go to the gym, diet, possibly even starve themselves to make these changes. Since we look up to these people, we think we need to do the same. We believe that we must also be slim, small-framed, and have wide hips but a tiny waist to be beautiful, which is unrealistic and very sad. “The fashion industry simply loves a skinny young girl. And for the average woman, fashion media continues to deliver a brutal, frustrating fantasy” (Givhan, R.,
To some, certain celebrities may be an inspiration or a role model when it comes to body image issues. If you idolize a celebrity who doesn't give in to such pressures when dealing with weight, it has potential help you feel better about yourself knowing that they believe that we should all feel beautiful and comfortable in our own skin. It can also lead us to want to follow in their footsteps, which involves being true to you. Jennifer Lawrence says she refuses to 'be hungry to make other people happy' when discussing her weight (Watkins, J., 2013). It’s celebrities like her that send a positive message to the general public about body image and being confident. Stars like Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Alba, and Mary Kate Olsen have all battled with eating disorders. They admit that the pressure to be skinny in the Hollywood world of fame led them to binge, purge and restrict themselves to a certain amount of calories. Although it is very unfortunate that people in our society feel they need to do these things, them coming out about with their stories and seeking help to be healthy again can allow anyone in the general public to feel that they too should get help and become healthy, which demonstrates learning to be confident in who you