The impact the media has on young people’s body image has always been under scrutiny, and the relationship between the media and personal perception is clear. When the number of likes, comments and favorites determines popularity and social ranking, it can feel like we are participating in a never-ending competition against our friends and peers. With technology and the Internet becoming more prominent and powerful every day, allowing us to access media instantly, it has become easy to invest in what the media portrays. Media is not the only contributing factor to issues with body image and other related topics, but it is still a big one. Seeing celebrities in the media looking almost unreal, people cannot help but compare themselves, even if just for a second.
Elizabethtown College takes action against these negative attitudes with events like the Love Your Body Fashion Show, which will be held on Wednesday, March 11 in the KAV. This event gives students a chance to show off their confidence on the runway and feel comfortable in their own clothes without having to look like the stereotypical model. The purpose of this event is to increase satisfaction in yourself and gain more self-assurance. Even for those not participating as a model, the audience’s support for those on the catwalk will definitely create a contagiously positive atmosphere.
Social platforms and the media can serve great purposes, such as keeping us updated on our friends, the latest celebrity scandals and hot topics, but they can also put pressure on us. The media often sends the message that self-worth is based on appearance. Students are often presented with photos or videos and the pressure of looking “just right” effortlessly and at all times. The majority of the media’s target audience consists of young adults and teenagers. The media is able to change our idea of body image because they only show bodies that fall into the “ideal.”
The media demonstrates body image by showing the most beautiful, handsome and attractive celebrities on the cover of magazines, on television and through advertisements. Intentional or not, girls are led to believe that thin is beautiful, and men are convinced that being lean and muscular is ideal. It is evident that standards are set for men as far as what is manly, while women see what is perceived as attractive, and, just as importantly, what isn’t.
It’s easy to become obsessed and take body image too seriously. The ideas we hold about our bodies can transform in ways that lead to changing outfits several times in the morning, spending hours piling on make-up and examining our every last flaw. “The media definitely impacts body image, but we just have to remember to love ourselves and the bodies we have,” junior Cory Caudell said. The media does care about its effect on its viewers, but only when we speak up. Being aware of the media’s effect is a big step in changing the way we are influenced. Although not everyone is affected by the media’s portrait of the perfect body, the degree of influence can sometimes lead to wanting a specific change within our own bodies.
Some common New Year’s resolutions are centered on the idea of exercising more, eating healthier and losing weight. While all of those are great and admirable goals to set for yourself, we have to want them for the right reasons. If it is just to fit in and for the sake of appearance, then it is crucial to accomplish these goals in a healthy manner. Today, we hear horror stories of crash dieting, starvation and skipping meals. We don’t need to look hard to find post-New Year’s advertisements on weight loss. It seems there’s always a brand new miracle diet pill that can change your life.
“When we were younger, it was easy to believe the super thin models on magazine covers were real, but as I’ve gotten older I realize those pictures have probably been edited for hours. And I’ve noticed recently the media features more plus-size models than it used to,” sophomore Jayde Wan said.
It is important for people of all generations to remember that we were each born into our own unique bodies. We cannot, by any means, be expected to conform to the media’s expectations of beauty. Each body is different and beautiful in its own way, and you show your inner beauty when you are confident in yourself and practice self-love. Strut your stuff, walk with your head high and love every inch of you.
