By: Nicole Piazza

BODY IMAGE AND THE MEDIA

DEFINING BODY IMAGINGo “Body Image” refers to a

person's feelings of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of his or her own body.

o A person's sense of their own physical appearance, usually in relation to others or in relation to some cultural "ideal," can shape his or her body image.

“A person's sense of their own physical appearance, usually in relation to others or in relation to some cultural "ideal," can shape his or her body image.”

DEFINING BODY IMAGINGo “Body Image” refers to a

person's feelings of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of his or her own body.

o A person's sense of their own physical appearance, usually in relation to others or in relation to some cultural "ideal," can shape his or her body image.

BODY IMAGE IS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE MEDIA

DOSOMETHING.ORG

http://www.dosomething.org/

DoSomething.org is the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and social change consisting of 1,666,208 members who stand up for causes they care about.

• Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape.

(Sadly, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.)

• Studies show that the more reality television a young girl watches, the more likely she is to find appearance important.

• In a survey, more than 30 percent of women agreed they would consider cosmetic surgery in the future. The statistics remain constant.

• Students, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who do not consume as much.

• 58 percent of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.

THE MEDIA

o Body Imaging

THE MEDIAThe media showcases an UNREALISTIC image of what women are supposed to look like.

Places like:• MAGAZINES• TELEVISION & MOVIES• ADVERTISEMENTS• MODELS• SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media has gradually become TVs number one competitor in influencing young womens’ overall body image as it has become such a huge part of our society.

MAGAZINES

People – models are thinner than 98% of American girls and women – 98%! The sad thing is that our young women don’t realize this and are constantly comparing themselves to these UNREALISTIC images”

TELEVISION• Primetime Drama and Reality Television: associates thinness with other desirable

attributes such as wealth and desirability (ex. Gossip Girl)

• Fashion Show Runway Shows: Exhibits ultra-thin models and the ideal size for trendy clothing (Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show)

• Grammy, Emmy, Oscar Awards: SOME Celebrities airbrushed and thin

“In a study of girls in grades 1,3 & 5, I found that the total amount of television that young girls watched was significantly associated with their overall body-size dissatisfaction. For fifth graders, the number of hours of television watched was significantly related to a preference for thinness.The results of this study are alarming both because of the girls' age and because research has identified body dissatisfaction as a risk factor for severe eating disorders.”

DANIELLE Z. KASSOW, Ph.D.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Filters, Blur, & Zoom focus• 5 Ways to Look Even Better on

Instagram (BelleSugar)

“Either way, the picture is changed and the image is different, more enhanced, less realistic than the original. How does this affect body image? Having a more tanned, whiter smile, and dark features makes many people look more attractive, some would say. Is this changing the way we view others in reality? Do we feel some kind of deceit when we see these people in real life as opposed to in a picture that has been edited with Instagram? These questions are important to ask because as time goes by, more and more pictures are being edited and Instagram's popularity is taking over.” BLOG - http://socialmediabodyimage.blogspot.com

• Most women of the media are young, thin, pretty, and often white.

• Actresses are rarely women over the age of 40. Any women over 40 receive plastic surgery to look younger.

The image of "perfection" is becoming further and further out of reach…

Will You Chase it?