Stephanie Scalzitti
RHET 105
Mary Hays
04-19-16
HowMedia Can Change to Create Healthier Lives
As time goes on, ways of living, thinking, and behaving change, as well as expectations of society. Today, society’s ideal body for the average women is a lot thinner than past years. As Katherine Schreiber has researched in an article inPsychology Today, phenomenon’s such as “fitspiration” and “thinspiration” have been taking over social media sites such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and even Facebook to promote “healthy” living. These phenomena consist of pictures of women with insanely flat stomachs, thigh gaps, and zero percent body fat. Realistic right? Wrong (Schreiber, 34). With this change in media, the times of technology have also changed, where we have become more and more advanced, especially with advertisements, the publication of magazines, and the use of social media. Though we have made great strives of achievement with the advancement of technology, in the recent years, the media has been a controversial topic to many, especially women. Experts have done many studiesto show the correlation between media and body dissatisfaction. But with some changes, the media can become the catalyst in reducing body dissatisfaction among women and young girls. I believe that the media needs to create more positive advertisement and be more open minded towards body image, because it plays an immense role in self-esteem, body satisfaction and the overall health of women. For this paper, the media will include social media, as in websites and applications, T.V shows, beauty magazines, and commercial advertisements. The ideal body image for women is unattainable and this is dangerous.
As technology becomes more and more advanced, it also becomes more widely used among all different kinds of people, as well as all different age groups. Children are being targeted through cartoons and their emphasis on being attractive. Men are being taught what the ideal “woman” looks like through portrayals of images in men’s magazines and advertisements. Adolescents are the most greatly targeted, especially girls, through images in magazines and advertisements. For women, the yearning to be thin is exposed through media and is closely related to the result of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. For men, media imposes the idea and the importance of muscularity. Interestingly, an article in the National Eating Disorders Organization, talks about how media and body image are directly related. It states that there is no one cause to body dissatisfaction but that media is a contributor and that exposure to media increases body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Increasing amounts of media that are aimed at young children through cartoons even emphasizes the need to be attractive. This shows how prominent body image is in media and how its message to be thin is being carried to everyone (“Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders”).
We live in a world today where healthiness is promoted as being stick thin, with abs, being toned from your head to your toes, and of course, having a thigh gap. But in reality, these motivational pages that promote “fitspiration” and “thinspiration” set young women up for failure. Pictures on sites that promote “thinspiration” have been linked to provoking eating disorders and low self-esteem. As for “fitspiration,” created to help make people become fit by motivating them to get up and move, some researched have found that instead of doing this, it actually has negative influences on women. Bryan Karazsia, an associate professor of psychology explains that women look at these pictures with the “fitspiration” and “thinspiration” hashtags and think “I wish I looked like that”. But the problem with this is that this ideal body image that is being promoted as healthy, is in fact unattainable for most, and “is just as unrealistic for most women as the wispy cover girl standard of yore.” In this same article, researchers suggest that these sites promotion “fitspiration” and “thinspiration” actually decrease women’s yearn to exercise. (qtd. in Schreiber, 35). This sites are a huge problem as well because anyone can access them. Teenage girls, even pre-teens, all the way to adults have access to these sites. This is further explained in an article in BBC News, girls as young as the age of five were worrying about their weight and appearance. According to the same article, cosmetic surgery rates have increased by over 20% since 2008, due to pressures to look good. In this article, Dr. PhillippaDiedrichs says “The more time spent on Facebook, the more likely people are to self objectify.” By using apps on smart phones and even on the computer, people can change their appearance drastically. For example, even the smallest of zits can be removed, your arm can be thinned out, and your teeth can be whiter. You can take the ugliest of pictures and transform it into one of your favorites, just by using media. The article also states the Dr. Diedrichs feels that to prevent this negative body image and dissatisfaction, the media should “showcase a more diverse range of bodies because there is not just one way to be healthy or one ideal look” (Diedrichs, 1273-1291).What Diedrichs believes is a lot of what my thesis states. I feel as though media should shed more positive light on body image and this includes what Diedrichs believes: to promote different types of body figures because there is not one single way to look or one single way to be healthy, or one single way to be beautiful. For me, I fall into the category of using these filters and applications to make myself look more “beautiful” by removing my zits, whitening my teeth, or making myself tanner. I wish that these applications did not exist and that people could just be themselves and be happy with who they are and how they look without trying to be something they are not.
Media usage and body dissatisfaction are directly correlated. There have been many studies linking media usage to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. In an article in the Journal of Affective Disorders, a study that found that Facebook usage significantly increases bulimic symptoms and episodes of over-eating in a sample of 232 college students. It suggests that reducing maladaptive Facebook usage may be a key factor in reducing body dissatisfaction and bad eating habits (Smith, 235-140). Another study done by a group of psychologists found that there is a positive correlation between “body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, internalization of the thin ideal, endorsement of surgery to attain a bust size that is neither small nor too large, and bulimic symptomology” and the average time teenage girls spend watch media that focuses on appearance (Lopez, 390). Studies have not only been reported in articles online but in books as well. Researchers believe that the media actually plays a bigger role in people’s live than they think. These researchers believe that media sets the standards for the physical appearance and the physical beauty of men and women. For example, men and women may look to super models as an example of what they should look like. (Wykes, 137-139). I fully believe that the media is responsible for setting the standards on ideal body figure and appearance for women and men. The media is responsible for setting trends in society and people go to the media to see how to dress, what hair and make-up styles are in, and what are the best foods to eat as well as exercises. If the media did not only advertise being beautiful as being skinny, with perfect skin, toned abs, and a thigh gab, people would have a more realistic, ideal body figure as well as body and beauty standards.
Though experts can see the correlation between media and body dissatisfaction, many women are unaware of this correlation. A team of expert psychologists studied this exact relationship and found just that: people are unaware of the negative influence media has on their self-esteem/body satisfaction. In the article “Influence of Mass Media on Body Image”, the psychologists state that “People are often unaware—and mass media work hard to keep it that way—of the extent to which, and just exactly how mass media play an important role in promoting consumerism, body objectification, and internalization of the current beauty ideal” (Lopez, 389). This article also argues that society’s ideal body for women stems from false advertisement: photo-shopping and retouching images through the use of digital technology. Media exposes this false idea of the ideal body through magazines, television, and social media. Women are brainwashed into thinking this ideal body figure is actually attainable, when in reality it is completely unattainable, especially since these certain photos have been edited and retouched to perfection(Lopez, 389). A study performed by the Department of Psychology at the University of Turin found that with a random group of 51 female undergraduates, when showed retouched photos found in the media, the level of internalization of beauty levels was reduced and negative effects of media exposure were provoked. But when real images of models, untouched/unedited were shown to the students, internalization of beauty ideals inclined (Rollero, 195-202). This suggests that if the media ceased to retouch photos and started promoting real, authentic beauty, women around the world would have higher levels of body satisfaction, and higher levels of self-esteem.I feel as though the ideal body figure/weight is completely distorted for women especially due to the retouching of photos. Women view magazines of famous people and celebrities and feel as though what they see is actually real, when in reality the photos are very retouched and hardly ever authentic. If media prohibited the retouching of photos and began posting positive, untouched images, women could have a more realistic outlook and ideal on body figures and appearance.
Although all of this evidence supports the idea that media has a negative influence on body satisfaction among women, some researchers have found evidence to disclaim this theory, and actually show that in fact media and body image have no correlation whatsoever. In a study performed by a team of psychologists, 218 young Mexican American women were tested. The psychologists found that their body satisfaction stemmed from “larger body mass index (BMI), depressive symptoms, and feelings of inferiority in comparison to other women”. When these women were exposed to thin ideal body images, there was no correlation with body dissatisfaction found (Muñoz, 383). I find this to be a really interesting source. Most of my sources I found showed the opposite results of what this source and study showed. This makes me think about the correlation between body image and media. Although this study didn’t show a correlation between the two, I feel as though this study should have been replicated and should have been done to a variety of women from all different cultures. My doubts would have been stronger if the study was not only on Mexican American women. After my research I still believe in my thesis and that there is a strong correlation between media and body image.
Ways in which we can promote healthy lifestyles through media are not limited, in fact there are many ways the media can do this. One way is by redefining the typical model. Instead of using the typical 100 pound, 5’8 woman to model everyday fashion, why not have a woman who is more similar and realistic to theentire population of women. By having a model who is more realistic, women’s self esteem can raise and their body satisfaction may increase, since they do not have such an unrealistic/unattainable body figure to compare themselves to. Less thin models can improve body dissatisfaction among women and men. This idea was supported with evidence in an article in Psychology and Health, a study of 171 women and 120 men, aimed at finding “alternative media imagery”, was conducted. This study found that when men and women were shown no model, a thin model, or an average sized model, both groups were in a significantly more positive state when shown the average sized model (Diedrichs, 1273-1291).Recently, the company that created the original Barbies invented a new Barbie. Some say this has no impact on young girls and that the original Barbie should not be tampered with. But in a study reported by the American Psychological Association, 162 girls were randomly selected to take part in an experiment involving the original Barbie. These girls ranged from the age of 5 to the age of 8. The researchers exposed the girls to either a Barbie, an Emme doll which is a representation of a U.S size 16, or no doll at all. After they were exposed to these dolls, they were asked to complete assessments of body image. Of all 162 girls, those who were exposed to the Barbie had higher inclinations to be thinner, as well as lower body esteem, in comparison to the girls who were not exposed to the Barbie. This supports the idea that exposure to unrealistically thin models, dolls, actresses, etc., can cause an increase in body satisfaction in all ages of women, particularly in this case, young girls, and into their future (Dittmar, 283-292).Now a way that media could reduce body dissatisfaction in this situation, is by the promotion of the new Barbie’s which are small, petite, and curvy, on television, in stores, magazines, newspapers, etc. 85% of American girls from the ages of three to ten currently own at least one Barbie (Dockterman, n. pag). These statistics show how relevant Barbie is in our time. For young girls, this new Barbie can teach them that they do not have to look one certain way. Everyone knows Barbie as being the perfect, ideal person, but now, there is not just one idea of Barbie and young girls will understand that better. Just like in the study with the Barbie’s, Emme dolls, and no doll, those shown the original Barbie had lower body satisfaction and ore incline to be thin. The Emme doll and the new Curvy Barbie are very similar in that they are both fuller than the original Barbie. For this reason, we can conclude that the new curvy Barbie will not provoke low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction among women just as the Emme doll did not.
As one can see, media and body satisfaction among women go hand in hand. If photoshopping was banned, as in if media was banned from using Photoshop, if models were more average sized, if social media was less about being thin and more about being healthy and moderation, then women could enhance their self-esteem, their body satisfaction, and their possibly distorted thoughts about beauty and body ideals altogether. This is not a topic that can easily be fixed, but with small changes that I have mentioned in this paper, there is hope that one day women of all shapes and sizes can feel comfortable with themselves and be happy with what they look like.
Works Cited
Diedrichs, Phillippa C., and Christina Lee. "Waif Goodbye! Average-Size Female Models Promote Positive Body Image and Appeal to Consumers."Psychology & Health26.10 (2011): 1273-1291.SPORTDiscus. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, Emma, and Ive, Suzanne. “Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin?” Developmental Psychology 42.2 (2006): 283-292. APA PsycNet. Web. 18 April. 2016.
Dockterman, Eliana. "A Barbie For Every Body. (Cover Story)."Time187.4 (2016): 44-51.Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Lopez-Guimera, Gemma, et al. "Influence Of Mass Media On Body Image And Eating Disordered Attitudes And Behaviors In Females: A Review Of Effects And Processes."Media Psychology13.4 (2010): 387-416.Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
"Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association."Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Muñoz, Mónica E., and Christopher J. Ferguson. "Body Dissatisfaction Correlates With Inter-Peer Competitiveness, Not Media Exposure: A Brief Report."Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology31.4 (2012): 383-392.Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
ROLLERO, Chiara. "I Know You Are Not Real": Salience Of Photo Retouching Reduces The Negative Effects Of Media Exposure Via InternalizationStudiaPsychologica57.3 (2015): 195-202.Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Schreiber, Katherine. "Body Conscious."Psychology Today48.5 (2015): 34-35.Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Smith, April R., Jennifer L. Hames, and Thomas E. Joiner. "Status Update: Maladaptive Facebook Usage Predicts Increases In Body Dissatisfaction And Bulimic Symptoms."Journal Of Affective Disorders149.1-3 (2013): 235-240.Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter.The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. London: SAGE, 2005. Print.