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Mass Media's Negative Influence On Body Image

749 Words3 Pages

The demographic differences in people who are influenced by the mass media in terms of perception of their own body image
This review will look at 2 categories - gender, and ethnicity. Are males or females affected more by the mass media when it comes to body image? Are ethnic cultures heavily affected by the media’s presentation of the ideal body?

As stated by Cash and Smolak, a study was conducted to test if media exposure negatively affects body satisfaction in males and females. For females, controlled exposure to the ideal body image in magazines, television, and video games had a significant negative effect in relation to their body satisfaction compared to males. The study further showed that adolescent girls who experienced body dissatisfaction …show more content…

Therefore, unlike the case for body dissatisfaction in females, this effect is not greater in males already dissatisfied with their muscularity (Cash and Smolak 103-104). The effect of the media on gender is also repeated by Levine and Harrison that the effect weighed more heavily on females than males (505). However, the media is still capable of inciting body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys and men when it comes to the lean and muscular body ideal.

Therefore, how both genders are influenced by the mass media in terms of perception of their body image, is shown to be more prevalent in females.

In the area of ethnicity, Levine and Harrison stated that when it comes to the influence of media exposure, White, Anglo and European-American individuals are much more strongly affected as compared to African Americans (505). African Americans are not as strongly affected by the media as they are unable to identify with the models that are more commonly showed (505). The most prevalent image of the ideal body is that of a fair-skinned female and hence does not affect individuals from other racial groups as strongly as they are unable to relate to the models shown (Levine and Harrison 505). This relates to the Social Comparison Theory where the White, Anglo and European-American individuals are able to compare …show more content…

It has been proven that media has a strong influence through advertising as it creates an alternate reality with a frame of “norms” that people think means beauty. In response to the media’s portrayal of the ideal body, people have developed physical and emotional reactions that may be detrimental to themselves. Females are also shown to be more easily influenced by the mass media in terms of perception of their own body image as compared to males, and some ethnic groups are less easily influenced by the media than others. It is important for the reader to note that this review was not done in the local

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