Mass Media Is an Influential Social Construct

In the 21st century Mass Media represent “highly influential social constructions” which belong to the everyday life of millions of people all around the world (Levine, 2012). These media play a primary role in the inexorable propagation of a wide range of images regarding female body and its idealization, providing us with impossible patterns of beauty to reach. As a consequence, trying to get to such unrealizable goals leads to an increase in eating disorders, “anxiety, depression, anger” and everlasting dissatisfaction of body image (Women's Body Image and BMI).

Although the concept of female beauty in America has changed over the last few decades, the current ideal of attractive woman depicted in Media is “young, tall, thin, and white, with at least moderately large breasts” (Levine, 2012). The most worrying thing is that this strict prototype suggests, among the other characteristics, a BMI which does not reproduce the real of the average American woman (Women's Body Image and BMI). As time went by, such a gap became more evident. In fact, twenty years ago models' weight was 8% less than a common American woman's and today their weight has dropped to 23% less (Women's Body Image and BMI).

The continuous vision of these unhealthy thinness patterns sets in motion a mechanism which can be identified as “social comparison theory”, urging people to compare their attributes to those that are proposed by standards (Levine, 2012). In a US survey carried out on 11-19 year old girls, more than a half declared that their idea of “perfect body shape” has been determined by pictures on magazines (Levine, 2012). A substantial percentage of these girls stated, more precisely, that due to the media interaction their wish to be thinner became greater at the same rate of their frustration caused by their body (Levine, 2012).

Order custom essay Mass Media Is an Influential Social Construct with free plagiarism report

450+ experts on 30 subjects Starting from 3 hours delivery

Get Essay Help

To make the situation worse, another study among teenagers pointed out that there are even more factors contributing to the negative concept of one's own body, such as the lack of support from parents and peers (possibly subjected to the media power as well), the decision to begin a diet, a pessimistic mood and the “personal levels of anxiety or depression” (Body Image and BMI). Furthermore, all these factors are likely to remain so frequent and common to the point of being considered as something normal among women (Women's Body Image and BMI). As a result, where a woman demonstrates a very high degree of weight anxieties and a profound discomfort towards her body due to the contact with media and to circumstances in which she lives, there will be a major probability of undertaking the direction of dangerous eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

One of the more skillful works Mass Media are trying to conceal behind images that are divulged is carried out through digital technology (Levine, 2012). In order to reinforce the current beauty ideal, pictures are airbrushed and manipulated but, at same time, they are publicized as something natural and authentic (Levine, 2012). The power of programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom is that of changing every feature of a person and there are many tools one can select to do it (Gaffney, 2017). The designers involved in this meticulous work have to use their abilities to reduce the waistline, make breast more prosperous and remove every flaw of the model in question, with the aim of obtaining a specific figure (Gaffney, 2017).

In opposition, some companies have decided to promote spontaneous beauty. One of the more discussed examples is that of cosmetic company “Dove” which in its “campaign for real beauty” of 2004, finally chose to show the impressive difference between photoshopped women in ads and women in their real appearance (Women's body and BMI). In all companies, the decision not to use any digital alteration has the purpose to show female body in all shapes and sizes, a small but great step forward the acceptance of one's body.

Significant studies have been conducted to analyse the psychological influence of dolls on every young girl’s life, as, for example, Barbies (Dittmar, Halliwell, Ive, 2006). Barbie dolls could be both playmates and an inspiration for young girls, but at the same time they could bring negative effects on their self-esteem and body image. In fact, it seems that the exposure to Barbies of very young children causes unhappiness and it makes them want to be thinner (Dittmar, Halliwell, Ive, 2006). Regarding this, the University of Sussex, together with the Department of Psychology, has carried out an experiment in six primary schools of South England, based on the exposure to Barbie dolls of 162 young girls, from 5 to 8 years old.

In order to maintain the girls’ attention during the whole investigation, were created three books, the first one composed by six images of Barbie dolls, the second by six neutral images (for example flowers) and the third by six images of Emme, an american doll with lifelike body sizes supported by the “American Dietetic Association” that promotes a body positive image. To the girls, divided in small groups of three, were read six stories concerning shopping and “getting ready for a birthday party”, illustrated by the aforementioned pictures.

The second part of the experiment consisted in calculating the gap among actual and ideal body size of the girls, providing them with images of diverse body types. Professor Ive, a researcher from the University of Sussex, invited each girl to colour the body on the picture more similar to “her own body”, and then the figure that they wished to become, their “ideal body shape”. According to the calculation method, the “ Child Figure Rating Scale”, a 0 result should have stated “no body shape dissatisfaction”, a negative result would have meant that the girls wanted to become skinnier, while a positive result indicated the desire of the girls to be “bigger”.

The third part of the experiment was composed by a questionnaire in which answers were given by marking one of three “picture smiley faces”, in order to calculate the girls’ positive body image. After the experiment, the girls exposed to Barbie dolls showed “lower body esteem” as compared to the girls exposed to the other pictures, and a deeper desire to be thinner.

Hence, the investigation demonstrate that Barbie dolls, which have been an “aspirational role model” for ages, increase weight-related concerns, with as a possible consequence future eating disorders (Dittmar, Halliwell, Ive, 2006). Unfortunately, nowadays, society is not helpful as it makes “thinner pressure”: think for example to advertising and tv programs promoting skinny models (Dittmar, Ive, Halliwell, 2006), or peer group members, which sneer other people’s surface to avoid the refuse (Marts, Curtin, Bazzini, 2012).

Furthermore, children are exposed to parental criticism, with increasing potentially damaging consequences, such as extreme dieting and eating disorders. (Dittmar, Ive, Halliwell, 2006) Therefore, since “kids need solid education”, it is parents’ responsibility to explain them that “in real life women come in all different shapes and it’s ok to embrace who you are, as long as that’s a happy and healthy version of you” (Peacock, 2013).

A matter of significant topical interest in the 21th century regards the increase of “body diversity” as a solution to demolish the unachievable standards of beauty people are used to see thanks to Mass Media (Kovar, 2009). The so-called “plus-size models” have been introduced in fashion industry and social media in order to achieve this social goal, enhancing a new category of beauty absolutely far from the traditional one. This new “trend” has been generally embraced and supported by media, but it has also become subject of a recent concern (Chadwick, 2016). As a matter of fact, part of public opinion argues that overweight models tend to promote obesity, believing that the more plus-size models are exposed to the society, the more “normalized” unhealthy figures will be (Chadwick, 2016).

But disagreements about the issue are not preventing plus-size female icons from having a relevant success in fashion shows and social media. Anyway, in a beauty industry which has always maintained inflexible body types, we are still very far from the total acceptance of something so unconventional.

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

Check my essay Hire Writer