Hanah Drabeck & Maggie Dominick

Research Paper

Dual Enrollment

January 11, 2021

The Hidden Truth of the Media

The battle to adore oneself has been present since the beginning of time. Most commonly

seen in women, individuals are continually comparing themselves with others around them.

When mass media became existent, people of all ages could compare themselves to anyone:

celebrities, friends, and even strangers. Much to their dismay, a single click of a profile or a look

at a magazine could tear down their entire confidence and change the manner in which they view

themselves. Most people aren't aware of the misleading factor of photoshop in the media and are

comparing themselves to standards that are unattainable to the normal person. As a result, the

deceiving images introduced an incline in plastic surgery requests and have caused dietary

problems to become more prevalent. The media negatively impacts the way individuals view

themselves because it sets unrealistic body standards and promotes unhealthy behaviors.

Despite the fact that body image issues have consistently been present all throughout

various cultures and societies, it encountered an increase when magazines, TV, and different

types of the media became relevant. As technology advanced, the issue developed and spread to

web-based media. In the article "Studies Say Social Media Prompts Body Image Discussion"

written by Kayla Mulliniks, physiologist Amanda Swarts states, “Although mass media has been

producing images of society's idea of beauty for years, the increased use of social media allows

users to compare themselves to their peers, not just celebrities or models.” This speaks to how

the issue is based on individuals comparing themselves with what society views as an ideal body.
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Teens are more likely to fall for this because they are worried about how people view them more

than any other age group, and are more prone to be insecure because of bodily changes they

undergo (“How Media Negatively”). Pictures in the media have triggered individuals to have

undesirable mentalities, practices, and issues.

When people contrast themselves with pictures they find in the media, they set ridiculous

body standards for themselves. Models in the media have been proven to weigh 23 percent less

and are around 6 inches taller than the common adult female ("How Media Negatively"). Models

promoted in magazines have made people feel that they aren't good enough, when in reality their

figures are impossible to achieve. Individuals have additionally turned to plastic surgery

procedures to accomplish the looks they find desirable in the media. The plastic surgeon Dariah

Hamrah discussed in her article the exponential growth rate of requested plastic surgeries in the

recent years: “Nearly 16 million such procedures were done in 2018 - up 2 percent from 2017

but more than tripled since 2000.” The increase in requests are expected to have been due to

media impacts. The pictures cause people to criticize each imperfection they have, when the

majority of the time nothing is wrong with them.

The media has set unrealistic expectations; furthermore, it has incited undesirable

practices alongside these issues. “Thinspiration” sites are located on social media platforms that

promote eating disorders, such as anorexia. They can be detrimental for people of all ages, for

they give weight loss instructions that promote excessive exercising and harmful dieting

(Johnson). “Fitspiration” sites are also using images that have used digital manipulation to

confuse people on what is actually achievable (Schriever). By uploading these pictures that are

impossible to look like, people turn to unthinkable measures to try to achieve these standards.

These sites represent how social media contains aspects that condone eating disorders and
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confuse individuals on the healthy method for weight loss. Another factor that should be brought

to the discussion is utilization of photoshop. Models and celebrities in the media are being

glamourized for having perfect physiques, flawless skin, and ideal facial structures; one's own

acquaintance could even have these attributes when seen via online media. Usually, these

individuals are using photoshop to accomplish these deceiving images. Sometimes when

individuals compare themselves to images and videos of people that are skinny, pretty, and

happy they think that their life isn’t good enough (Peppercorn). When in reality, users are not

understanding the hidden truth and are comparing themselves with these misleading posts. Along

with this, harmful tendencies can be triggered when one compares themself to someone that is

fake.Hence, the media is the root source of unhealthy behaviors and mindsets regarding body

image because it provides deceptive photos and contains websites encouraging these habits.

On the other hand, some people may argue that the media applauds all body types and

promotes self-love. The Butterfly Foundation wants to make an impact on social media by

encouraging influencers and users to promote “#loveyourbody” on their posts (Hennessy). ​ ​This

viewpoint can be partially true: in recent years, the media has incorporated plus-sized models

into an increased number of websites and magazines. Despite the fact that there are now

currently more models with various body types, ones that are shown to be thinner still exist in a

larger quantity in the media. Furthermore, the media focuses more on appearance as opposed to

the strength of a person. The media never centers around what it looks like to be fit and healthy;

however, it never neglects to specify somebody’s size (Johnson). Therefore, the media's

inclusion of various body types is an invalid defense on how it upholds body positivity.

Although there’s not necessarily a clear solution on how to completely stop the media’s

negative effects, instructing kids on the deceptive highlights at a youthful age and promoting
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well being over appearance is the most ideal alternative. As indicated by a recent report by

Michigan State University, kids as youthful as 5 years of age begin to see what they see online as

dependable data. By the ages 10 to 11 years of age, they utilize the web as a source to legitimize

what's ordinary (Johnson). Children and teens hold the highest risk factor in accepting what they

view online, so it is critical to instruct them at a young age. Parents and adults need to caution

kids on how models are significantly smaller than the average person and that published images

commonly use photoshop to perfect photographs. In addition, educating children on healthy

eating habits is vital in order for them not to develop unhealthy disorders. Furthermore, adding

that the figures they see spread throughout the media are not generally what they ought to

resemble. By instructing them to adore themselves at an early age, it will diminish the need to

change themselves to what society sees as an ideal figure in the future. Adolescents need to

learn that health should be valued over appearance in order for them to gain body positivity.

Self-perception affected by the media is a significant issue that should be taken into

worry due to the negative impacts it has sparked throughout the globe. Not only does social

media diminish one’s mental state, but it also can break down one physically(Smith). The media

has incited people to turn to unfortunate practices and has set unrealistic body standards. At this

point, the issue is simply proceeding to advance for the worse as technology progresses. It is vital

that everybody feels confident in their own skin and doesn't feel affected by what society views

as beautiful. Health should be what speaks to the media, instead of the size of one's waist. Body

positivity is crucial for people to not be misled by pictures in the media, and training kids this

idea is the initial step for minimizing this issue in the future. Nobody is perfect; each and every

person holds individuality that makes one unique from another. One’s flaws define who they are

and shouldn’t be changed to a standard of beauty that can never be met.

Works Cited

Hamrah, Daria. "Selfie Culture is Pushing Millennials to My Plastic Surgery Practice."

Washington Post​, 17 Mar 2019​. sirsissuesresearcher​,

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Hennessy, Annabel. "Social Media is Eating Up our Esteem." ​Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills),​ 03

Sep 2018, pp. 11​. sirsissuesresearcher​,

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"How Media Negatively Influences a Teen's Body Image." ​Star-Phoenix​, 12 Mar 2018​.

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Johnson, Chandra. "Is the Media's Focus on Weight Loss Harmful?" ​Deseret News​, 08 Sep 2015​.

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Peppercorn, Elizabeth. "Elizabeth Peppercorn: The Dark Side of TikTok."​ University Wire,​ 10

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