Media & the Body

The media is often blamed for the insecurities of adolescent children, but are they really to blame? The media may not be the most reliable when it comes to looking for a role model, but it is the parent’s job to educate their children on what is real and what is not. The media advertises to make money; beauty and attractive images are what make money. Media and advertisement are not the educators of children and should be allowed to use attractive models in their campaigns. Anorexia, bulimia, and social disorders are often blamed on the media. However, the media may portray beautiful “thin” people, but it does not tell people to stop eating. Advertisements for weight loss can be found, but none of them tell the audience starving oneself is the way to go. A diet and an eating disorder are two different things, and the media are not at fault if the audience cannot separate the two or sees otherwise. The disorders are affected by genetics, environment, and a person’s life situations. Though the media may portray the image of “thin being beautiful” to an audience, they do not tell anyone to change ("Eating Disorders").
When someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder the blame usually falls on the media first. In reality they are not the one to blame because it is not the media’s responsibility to instill an image of beauty in a child’s mind. The responsibility falls in the hands of the parents. A parent’s job is to encourage, love, and support their child, also to teach the difference between reality and fiction. The people in magazines are fake, and it is the parent’s job to show his or her child so. Eating disorders are a psychological disease that forms around other psychological problems such as depression, drug abuse, and/or anxiety disorders; the media does not promote these disorders, nor do they encourage binge dieting (Office of Mental Health). Children are easily influenced and can be impacted by images of things they see or use every day. In fact,