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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?

Can the Media Cause Negative Body Image in Females?

Carlee Logue

James Madison University

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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
Abstract

The essay trying to prove that the media cause negative body image among females.

Body image ideals have changed throughout history from valuing inner beauty to valuing

outer beauty. Three sources in the essay prove how media affects body image in a negative

way. The first source is a research paper, The Status of Media Effects on Body Image

Research Commentary on Articles in the Themed Issue on Image and Media. This paper,

written by Marcia Triggerman, explores how media directly affects the brain of females. The

other source is an interview written by Jason Zinoman, Body Image Issues? Lisa Campanili

Knows the Feeling, is where Lisa Campanili showcases how the media puts pressure on

celebrity. The last source is an article, How Social Media is a Toxic Mirror, written by

Rachel Simmons, is about girls growing up with low-esteem because the media is impacting

females negatively. The additional paragraphs compare and contrast the similarities and

difference between the three sources. The article tries proves to the audience the different

ways the media will negatively affects females body images, and why it is a prevalent topic

today.
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
The media has influenced females body image. People alter their behaviors to achieve

the thin bodies of women featured in ads, social media, or on television. This has a direct

impact on the self-esteem (NEDA, 2016). Media caused body image issues starting in the

1960s with the famous model, Twiggy. Twiggy was the first famous thin model. From then

on, many industries featured skinny females in their ads. The media has internally and

externally affected females body image (Medical Daily, 2016). Many women do not realize

that famous actresses, models, and singers in the 20th century were size eights and tens. One

example is Marylyn Monroe, she was considered the most beautiful women on earth; however,

in todays eyes she would be considered not perfect (Medical, 2016). The issue is prevalent

because more young females are growing up with less confidence and self-esteem because of

the constant browsing of media, with it being at their fingertips in the palm of their hands.

Their low self-esteem and lack of confidence can affect relationships, academics, and other

aspect in their lives. Society will idealize females with a skinny appearance because that is

what we see in the media which we are drawn to because our brain activity desires to browse

media. It is this industry that puts pressure on females to look a certain way; therefore, many

children grow up with the influence of the media and want to become part of

the phenomenon, thus, partaking in social media.

The article, The Status of Media Effects on Body Image Research Commentary on

Articles in the Themed Issue on Image and Media. is about the research that Markia

Tiggerman did in 2014 on media affecting females body image. She found that an increase use

of technology lowers the female's self-esteem. The research proved all age groups of females

who have been exposed to media suffer from a negative body image. Through motoring brain

activity when showing media to females in all age groups it proved her hypothesis. The activity
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
in the amygdala is evidence that women will feel something when looking at media because

the amygdala center is for emotions. Additionally, Markia shows from ages three to eight are

the most influential times in a girl life, thus if she is exposed to a great deal of media she can

be affected. In conclusion, females, especially younger, should limit their exposure to media,

including social media so that they can develop their image and self -esteem with positive

influences who have their best interest in mind.

In the interview Body Image Issues? Lisa Lampanelli Knows the Feeling written by

Jason Zinoman, is about the comedian, Lisa Lampanelli, and her struggles with body image.

She discusses with Jason how there is pressure in society to act, dress, and look a certain way

in the media. The first time she was insulted by a person it eroded her self-confidence a little.

The industry made her doubt herself through comments, changing her style, and paying for

major surgeries like gastric bypass surgery. Without the influence of the media, there would

not be a constant reminder or valuing of looks instead of valuing intelligence and virtues. To

combat the negative views of the media she has created a play called, Stuffed. The play

storyline is based on womens relationship their body.

The Time features Rachel Simmonss article, How Social Media is a Toxic Mirror,

claims how young females have shifted from beauty within to having thin ideals. Many

females will try dieting and exercise to alter their body because the media says these methods

work. However, what people fail to realize that all bodies are different and all bodies react

differently to each method of weight loss. The author builds her argument when discussing
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
young females verifying themselves on social media. Furthermore, the fact that social media

solicits comments and likes from viewer, it only perpetuates the phenomenon. All in all,

she closes her argument by telling the audience to encourage others to spread a positive self.

The interview, Body Image Issues? Lisa Lampanelli Knows the Feeling and,

article, How Social Media is a Toxic Mirror, present similar claims in their argument.

They both claim how the media finds validation through media. Lisa Lampenelli, a

comedian, looked for reassurance of her beauty multiple times in her career because she was

overweight. Hence, when someone poked fun of her weight she would take that insult to

heart. Lisa Lampanelli shares, a guy in the crowd yelled, Bring the fat chick out! no

insult that hurts more than fat. (Zinoman, 2016, p. 2). Something that did not seem

insulting to a man, impacted Lisa Lampanelli because she was looking for validation that she

had a good performance, and got an insult instead. Rachel Simmons studies share the

common theme of Lisa Lampanellis message. Rachel Simmons found in recent studies,

The most vulnerable users, researchers say, are the ones who spend most of their time

posting, commenting on and comparing themselves to photoswere more likely link their

self-worth to their looks.(Simmions, 2016, p. 1). The statement highlights how women use

social media to verify their beauty and gain attention. When females do not get as many likes

on a post or a picture they view themselves as not beautiful. Both pieces of writing wants

their audience to find self-confidence and self-esteem within and not from others.

Another similarity from the Lisa Lampanelli interview and Rachel Simmonss article

is they share the common opinion on women having too much focus on their looks. Rachel
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
Simmons incorporates a study proving women will spend more time on looks than other

aspects of life like family, academics, and hobbies. Rachel Simmons found, Teens can

spend hours fixating on the toned arms or glutes of celebrities who hawk their body as much

as their talent. (Simmons, 2016, p. 2). Girls waste too much time on their looks and

celebrity models instead of developing their own skills and talents. Therefore, girls use

celebrities looks as role models instead of their achievements and as a benchmark to evaluate

their own looks. On the other hand, Lisa Lampanelli is the celebrity that gets insulted when

she receives comments about her figure, which changes her mind-set about herself. Lisa

conveys her concern with her body in her interview. Jason Zinoman wrote, she was asked

at a mindful eating workshop how much time was spent think about food and body image.

I was the highest in the class: 90 percent of the time she said, (Zinoman, 2016, p 3). Lisa

Lampanelli realized she put in less time on her work than on her appearance. The Lisa

Lampanelli and Rachel Simmons writings convey to the audience how they can do other

activities with their time instead of worrying about eating and looks. Both women feel that

people should focus on inner beauty, so females will not be self- conscious of their looks.

Although Rachel Simmons has a similar claim to Jason Zinoman interview, it differs

from Marika Tiggerman article. While Markia claims that women of all ages can suffer from

a negative body image from the media, Rachel Simmons explains how teens will grow up

affected by the media, carrying their insecurities into adulthood. Markia states, growing

acknowledgement that body image is an issue for women across the entire lifespan.

(Tiggerman, 2014, p. 4). Many people do not realize the effect media has on females across

all age groups. Markias research shows how womens self-esteem can be affected by a
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
constant usage of media. Rachel Simmons on the other hand, believes young females are

greatly affected by social media. In the first paragraphs, she explains early usage of media

can lead to bad eating patterns, low-esteem, and low-confidence. The two writers points

differ because Markia claims all females are affected by media, and Rachel Simmons argues

that only youth is affected.

Additionally, the articles differ because they both argue different points of why

people use media, even though it has negative effects on a person. Markia Tiggerman found

research with females who use media every day and found that the females part of the brain,

the amygdala, is active by media upon women viewing the images. Because women are

constantly using technology the brain has a desire to always be connected with a device.

Rachel Simmon believes that teens and girls use media to gain validation. Rachel Simmon

explains, what social media has done is let anyone enter the beauty pageant...curating their

own image to become prettier, thinner and hotter. (Simmons, 2016, p. 3) Many girls will use

forms of social media to gain attention or reassurance that they are pretty. Markia Tiggerman

and Rachel Simmons provide information and evidence to support their claim why females

will have a continuous use of media.

My research has highlighted my argument on how women will compare themselves

to thin models or actresses in the media. Many women will manifest a negative self-esteem,

which can snowball into extreme behaviors. Through my research, I was able to learn of

different aspects media affects body image and the types of people.

Markia Tiggermanns research paper contributes to my argument because it provides

scientific information why females will continuously use media when it is harming their
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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
confidence. The interview, Body Image Issues? Lisa Lampanelli Knows the Feeling,

written by Jason Zinoman shows the audience how celebrities focus on how they act and

dress because of constant pressure from society. Rachel Simmons article How Social Media

is a Toxic Mirror, allows the reader to realize that girls being exposure early on to

technology directly affects their self-esteem. The sources all support a change in the way the

females think about their bodies. Society needs to destroy stereotypes of associating beauty

with being skinny, having long legs and big their lips while having small noses and start

focusing on inner beauty.

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CAN THE MEDIA CAUSE NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN FEMALES?
Reference Page

Bushak, Lecia. History Of Body Image In America: How The Ideal Female And Male

Body Has Changed Over Time. Medical Daily, Newsweek Media Group, 14 Dec.

2016, http://www.medicaldaily.com/history-body-image-america-how-ideal-female-and-

male- body-has-changed-over-360492.

National Eating Disorder Association. (2016). Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorder.

Retrieved November 02, 2017, from

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/mediabody- _ image-and-eating-

disorders.

Simmons, Rachel. (2016, August 19). How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror. Retrieved

November 02, 2017, from, http://time.com/4459153/social-media-body-image/.

Tiggerman, Markia. (2014) The Status of Media Effects on Body Image Research

Commentary on Articles in the Themed Issue on Image and Media. (n.d). Retrieved

November 02, 2017,

fromhttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2014.891822?scroll=top&

nee dAccess=true.

Zimoman , Jason. (September 22, 2016). Body Image Issues? Lisa Lampanelli Knows the

Feeling. Retrieved November 02, 2017, from, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/

25/theater/lisa-lampanelli-stuffed.htm.