Stephen Sears Professor Suzanne Briggs Synthesis Exploration 11/19/2013 Female life and Media One issue that

I feel is overlooked sometimes is the effect that Media has on the mental and physical state of women in the United States. Through my research I have looked at different forms of media such as, Facebook, Barbie, and other forms of entertainment. I also take a look at a disease that is or can be caused by media. The United States is becoming a very hard place to live for women who dont want to conform to the Normal of todays society. Media connected to mental diseases such as Anxiety, Depression, Anorexia, Bulimia, Etc.? Media has a huge role to play in most mental illnesses found in women in the United States. It causes one to become self-conscious with their looks and their social standing in society. Media also has an impact on the battle of equality in the social standings and power between men and women. Media causes Objective self-awareness as they look at someone elses life and picks out what they want in their life, this also causes one to focus only on their flaws and not there strengths. Have you ever wished that you were a movie star or more popular? This is something that most Americans dream about starting at a young age, fanaticizing about being popular and everyone knowing their name. The focus of people seems to have molded into this idea that if you want to be anything In life you have to be Popular and unless you conform to what society views as Popular then youll never be anything. The view of what you should look like when you grow up is portrayed to young women in the form of a Doll. Most Americans believe that Barbie has a huge impact on the thought process of young women. Emma Halliwell states that 48% of girls ages 9-12 are dissatisfied with their bodies (Body Dissatisfaction). It is believed by most Americans that the body type of Barbie is desired by young

women. Studies show that the Barbie body type is unrealistic and if she was a real person would be 64 would have to have removed 2-3 ribs to be that skinny and would topple over because she would be very top heavy. This can be connected to most eating disorders with the desire to become skinny and beautiful. Olivia Olarte-ulherr states in her paper Eating Disorders a Growing Concern that Girls as young as 14 years old could present early signs of eating disorders that could lead to anorexia and bulimia. In an attempt to become beautiful young women are willing to put their Physical Health at risk for a body type that isnt realistically obtainable. When young women start to realize that this body type is unattainable they start to become Depressed feeling that their dream of becoming popular and everyone knowing their name could be ruined because of their body type. Facebook doesnt help this at all. Facebook causes Objective Self-awareness as they compare themselves to their peers. They begin to recognize the beauty in other people and tend to point out their flaws and focus only on the negative parts of themselves. L. Gonzales M.A, and Jeffrey T. Handcock Ph.D. state in their essay Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook wall that people are prone to self-evaluations based on broader social standards and norms. As they compare themselves to others they start to develop a social anxiety as they become more self-conscious. Media has presented such a slim view on what women should be in their roles that much of a females identity comes from how others view her. This affects the equality and social standing between men and women because in todays society women are either viewed as a nurturer or a sex slave. The view that in order To get a man, a woman has to learn to regard herself as an item, a commodity, a sex object (Suzie Orbach, Fat is a feminist issue). Political standings of women seems to turn off most men and if women have any desire to be with a man then it seems like they must give up dreams and social standings to be with that person. Media has had such an impact on the roles of women in our society that it seems unfair that women have to go through so much in order to feel good about themselves. This in my mind is a huge Ethical issue. Should women be viewed as only having two roles in society? In a country whose sole purpose

was to be able to express ones self through freedom I dont think that this is right and to not be able to express ones self without fear of persecution in what this country got away from. This issue affects me personally in my life with two sisters and a girlfriend having to grow up in it. Constant reminders of how wonderful they are not enough as they continue to feel engulfed by the world and the pressures that come with living in it. I hope that one day media will portray women as a whole instead of the skinny unhealthy twigs we see on television. I have already seen a turning point with movies coming out such as Twilight and Hunger Games where the lead in the movie is a strong female character. Lets hope this continues and that women can see themselves as strong individuals who can make a difference in the world.

Sources
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