self image and the media

Hey everyone!

I am writing a research paper on how the media (mainly print and broadcast advertisement) affects the self esteem and self image of children and teenagers

I was hoping that I could get some first-hand input on the topic. If anyone would like to share their stuggles with self-image, eating disorders caused by it, self esteem, and just opinions in general about how the media affects us please email me at [email protected], or leave a post!
Everything is all anonymous, and everything is all in the name of educating others!!!

I myself have struggled with some of the things I have mentioned, but it is not an opinion paper so I need input from others!

PASS THE WORD ALONG! EVERYONE'S OPINION COUNTS!!!

thank you very much!
Ryanne

I stopped reading womens magasines. Got depressed after reading them. Felt like I was not good enough for anything, and the things they sayed I was supposed to care about was in no way the things I thought was important in life.

Ye womens magazines suck. way to make u feel fat. but the thing is ive come to realise that a lot of guys dont like their girls that skinny anyways so im ok 😄

This world is mess up aready.There is not much we could do to stop people having abortions and kiling others and having babies at a young age.
Even with the warning on tv and classes in school does not fix this promblem.So I think there is no hope for us right now in this world.JM

wow that was a positive post! the media affects everyone at different levels - i have to say i looked at an ad the other week and thought "oo i want that". But i wouldnt take it to extremes and change my whole life because of an advert i saw on the tv with a skinny girl in it - wat makes people do that is the pressure from people around them going "omg she's so fat and she's ugly and she's got big ears" but i guess they do that because pretty people are in mags not ugly ones.

the one show i really hate that has a lot to do with my paper topic...

the swan....

the show repulsed me to the point of wanting to do something to help educate others....

starting with the research paper, then who knows...

I read that women with silicon or other plastic surgeries had a lot higher suicide rate than others. Guess you don't get happy by the way you look. But the media and shows like the swan tells you that you do. I also read that that women who was over 30, had children and a boyfriend, was the happiest in the country (Norway). Most of them are absolutely not skinny (after pregnancy) and don't look like models. They like themselves as they are. They don't get cheated on by their boyfriends either, and don't cheat themselves. These things happens mostly in relationships were one or both is unhappy and don't like themselves. Best way to happiness is to like yourself the way you are, then others will like you too.

I personally hate the way the media women & play on our self esteem. However, till we stop buying the mags & watching the TV shows not much will change in this consumer driven society.

Originally posted by bilb
I personally hate the way the media women & play on our self esteem. However, till we stop buying the mags & watching the TV shows not much will change in this consumer driven society.

✅

I also hate how all these stars are practically skin and bones and people think that this is a good look...my god, these women look like skeletons! There is nothing sexy about being able to count someone's ribs! And girls think this is a healthy way to look...I'm pretty thin but compare a picture of me to say, Lara Flynn Boyle, and I'd look downright fat. Which I am not.

The media plays this image of what perfection looks like, and everyone drinks it up. You have to look this way, dress that way, act like this, etc, in order to be cool. Complete BS. We're encouraged to be ourselves but at the same time are given this image of perfection that everyone tries to be. If you're not 5'10", 110 lbs, and wear a size 3, then you're not good enough. But that's not realistic -- average for women in the US is 5'5", 135 lbs, and wears size 11 (or so I've read). The media should stop playing this image of false-perfection and using it to screw with people's self-esteem and perception.

Karl Lagerfelt made a cloth-design for H&M, H&M got the design made in all sizes, but then Lagerfelt sued them because his designs was not to be worn by "fat" women. Stupid man.

The Swan:

"I've got this GREAT idea--let's take women with self-esteem issues, give them plastic surgery, and then laugh when they are still too ugly to be in a beauty pageant!"

That's horrendous and warped.