The Effect of Media on Teenagers’ Body Image Perception
By Sandy Moreno
‘It is better to be pretty, which means thin and mean, than to be ugly, which means fat and nice. That's just how it is…’ So says a 10-year-old interviewed in Santa Fe, N.M. Studies show a correlation between teenagers' poor body image and unrealistically thin television actors. Media outlets have set a standard of perfection that is impossible to live up to.
Parents have a responsibility to explain to their young children what is real and what is not on television. The character who dies in the movie on Sunday night suddenly returns on Wednesday programming. This can be confusing to young children.
In the same way, teenagers should be shown what is real and what is not when it comes to their favorite media stars. The actor who appears on the cover of a magazine appears to be perfect in every way. Parents have a responsibility to explain to teenagers that this is often an optical illusion through means that could be construed as untruthful. Airbrushing is employed to remove any blemishes; photo editing software geared toward correcting any imperfections; subject lighting; and retouching techniques.
The techniques for making media stars appear perfect seem to have moved far from what we perceive as normal. Children, “teens” (children nearing their teenage years), and teenagers are impressionable, leading some to attempt to reach that reality, where no reality exists.
The Media and Body Image by Maggie Wykes & Barrie Gunter details the phenomenon of the effect of cultural media on body image. In a study comparing African American and European American girls, aged 15 years, in their perceptions of their body image (Botta 2000:146), the correlation existed between negative body image and thin characters depicted on television programs. The thinner the characters portrayed on television, the less satisfied the teenagers were with their own body images.
Teenage perception of body image is illustrated in the journal article Adolescent body mass indices and self-perception by Mary E. Pritchard, Sondra L. King, & Dorice M. Czajka-Narins. Pritchart, et al, say that peer groups and societal expectations are significant factors in development of teenagers’ self-image. This concept is exploited in the media, advertising and movies (Anderson, 1994).
Peer pressure has much to do with how teenagers perceive themselves. When tweens share with each other what television shows they watch, or what video games they play, peer pressure opens them up to influence by their friends.
As a society, we must take steps to increase teenagers’ self-confidence. In doing so, we can change childrens’ perceptions of themselves and the world around them.
In an article on the website KidsHealth (Homeier, 2006), some of the influences on teens’ self-esteem include external sources, such as peers, actors, celebrities, movies and magazines. Homeier points out, “…it is impossible to compare oneself to others due to the changes that come with puberty being different from person to person. Just as babies and toddlers develop differently, so does self-image in teenagers. While there is no set guideline or time table for development of self-confidence, I believe there should be some sort of checklist to look out for, as well as pitfalls to avoid. A 10-year-old interviewed in Santa Fe, N.M., broke it down even further: ‘It is better to be pretty, which means thin and mean, than to be ugly, which means fat and nice. That's just how it is…’" The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body, by Courtney E. Martin, AlterNet, posted April 18, 2007. This illustrates that even young children understand the “need” to be thin and pretty. Children must be taught, at an earlier age, to love their bodies.
It is nearly impossible for teenagers to see themselves realistically when bombarded with images of an unrealistic body type on a daily basis. Harrison (1997) asserted that the growing prevalence of eating disorders in the United States and other industrialized societies, coupled with the prevalence of conspicuously thin models and actors featured in the media, have become a cause for alarm among those concerned with how women use social information to construct body image and develop healthy eating habits. Media Messages and Women’s Body Perceptions in Egypt by SHAIMA RAGAB (2005). The previous comments were from a study in Egypt, where it was thought television’s effect on body image was strictly a western concern. As the study explains, however, this seems to be a worldwide phenomenon.
“Whether we like it or not, celebrities are role models for teens. For many years we have seen the influence of pop culture on our youth. Ever since television and movies became main stream in America, teens have tried to emulate the speech, dress and behavior of their favorite celebrities.” http://www.goodtherapy.org/custom/blog/2008/09/08/celebrity-worship/
“Adolescence is often a time of soul searching and finding an identity. It can also be a very vulnerable and impressionable time. However, today’s identity formation has crossed the line. Teen idolization is even turning into a medical issue. Teens are undergoing surgery to have lips like Angelina Jolie and carving dimples in their chins to look like John Travolta.”
http://www.goodtherapy.org/custom/blog/2008/09/08/celebrity-worship/
“When a child is comfortable in their own skin, they can reach inward for well being and strength rather than becoming reliant on outside sources to dull their senses.”
http://www.goodtherapy.org/custom/blog/2008/09/08/celebrity-worship/
“Once these idolized perceptions are accepted as truth, thought distortions may develop, which can lead adolescent girls into self destructive behaviors such as eating disorders, self-injurious behaviors, excessive exercising and other destructive behaviors,” reports Buck Runyan, the COO of the Center for Discovery, an eating disorder program.
“Teen consumers are targeted through panoply of media in every conceivable setting. They are exposed to current styles and fashions in media content (TV shows, movies, music videos, etc.), thus stimulating general demand for the cool.” http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/usr_doc/PrimeTimeMediascope2004.pdf
Important to note in this regard is that two in three teens today have a TV in their room (essentially all have a radio), thus ensuring advertisers direct access to young consumers unmediated by parental supervision or comment (Roberts et al., 1999). Because teens spend billions of dollars per year, they are an attractive niche for advertisers.
We all want to be loved for who we are and not by who we wish we could be. While it is generally accepted that teens watch TV independent of their parents, if parents mitigated this activity, perhaps we could begin to change the perceptions of teens’ body image. “…A report from Public Agenda for the Family Friendly Programming Forum (Johnson, 2002) indicated that 73% of parents surveyed said they worried a lot or some about negative messages in the media…” http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/usr_doc/PrimeTimeMediascope2004.pdf
Just as young children must be guided as to what is “real” and what is “make-believe” on television, teenagers must be subjected to the same. Teenagers who see magazines that have been airbrushed or “Photo Shopped”, may be more likely to believe this is the norm.
If parents were as careful about what their teenagers are exposed to as they are about their younger children, society would not have to worry about teenagers’ poor body image. Parents have just as much responsibility to protect their older children from unrealistic media images as they do to teach their younger children what is real and what is not on television.
References
Wykes, M. & Gunter, B. (12/16/04). The Media and Body Image. Retrieved 11/26/08
Pritchard, M. E., King, S.L & Czajka-Narins, D.M. (1994). Adolescent body mass indices and self-perception. Retrieved 11/26/08, from organization name Web site: URL http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n128_v32/ai_20608735
Kids’ Health [no author]. (N/D). Body Image & Self-Esteem. Retrieved 11/26/08, from URL http://kidshealth.org/teen/exercise/problems/body_image.html
MEDIA MESSAGES AND WOMEN’S BODY PERCEPTIONS IN EGYPT [by RAGAB, S]. (2005). Retrieved 11/26/08, from URL http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:PT0Md72FBMkJ:etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11222005-110406/unrestricted/ragab_shaima_2005fall_masterofarts.pdf+MEDIA+MESSAGES+AND+WOMEN%E2%80%99S+BODY+PERCEPTIONS+IN+EGYPT+by+SHAIMA+RAGAB&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a