Media and Body Image

By: Mikaela Loeper

BLUE BELL, PA--Sexually objectified images of girls and women appear in many advertisements.  Elizabeth Heubeck and Doctor Louise Chang of WebMD.com point out that these advertisements start early, targeting elementary school aged children to emphasize the importance of attractiveness and beauty.  These advertisements begin showing up on television and in magazines that are later directed toward adolescent girls.
 

    Studies show that over 80 percent of Americans watch television daily.  Add in the availability of the internet through phones and other devices, children are exposed to increasing amounts of media.  Children ages eight through eighteen are engaged in some form of media consumption about 7.5 hours daily.  A large portion of this interaction is through television alone.
 

    For American girls, being “model thin” is the standard they are bombarded with on a day-to-day basis. According to WebMd.com, a recent study found that TV programs which are focused on appearance are swaying the self-esteem of girls as young as five.  With such a focus on attractiveness being everywhere in the media and is used in virtually every form of information and entertainment, it is hard to believe it does not have an effect on the human psyche.
 

    Actors, singers and celebrities that share the title of “attractive” are portrayed to be living glamorous and appealing lifestyles.  Many of these people become role models for children and adults alike.  However, being exposed to this unrealistic ideal has drastic emotional and physical effects on younger children.
 

    So what is the solution?  It starts with the parents.  I asked local youth pastor Sean Olsen at Morning Star Fellowship where he thought the problem lied.  Pastor Olsen responded, “I think the issue is that children are spending more time watching TV and going online or on their phones than they are actually talking to their parents.  [Teaching] kids to think critically about the things they are seeing, reading and hearing is a big and important start.”
 

    Courtney Gilroy, a student here at Montgomery County Community College, said,  “I think it’s because parents...start...using TV to quiet their kids and pretty soon it becomes a habit. What they see...changes the way they look at the world.  Especially when it comes to what it means to be pretty.”
 

    You may not be able to run away from media that exaggerates body image.  But you can ensure our future generations have a better sense of beauty than our society does today.