The media's effect on a teen's body image

When we were asked to vote on the topic we wanted to write about this essay, I was immediately interested in the topic of media. There are so many types of media around us, especially as the technology around us continues to boom. I feel that there are many approaches that I can take on this essay, but one subject that has particularly caught my attention, through a little research, is the effect that the media has on a teenager's body image. The media is constantly displaying beautiful and thin models, actors and actresses Even the news anchors are generally good looking people. The female models that we see in magazines today generally weigh 23% less than the average woman. The average height and weight for a model is 5'10" and 110 lbs, and the height and weight for the average woman is 5'4" and 145 lbs. These images portray to young girls, and boys as well, that being thin is being beautiful. Because of the skewed images that teens are viewing, in the media all around them, they seem to think that unless they look like these models do, they won't be good enough. Not only are the models thinner than is healthy to begin with, their photos are also airbrushed to make them appear perfect. I feel that the media is having a very negative impact on the body image of teen-agers and is driving teens to take very extreme actions in order to achieve the "perfect" body. Every day, more and more people develop eating disorders. In order to prevent these actions and negative body images amongst teens, I think that the media needs to portray more realistic pictures, rather than favor the impossible. The images that teens see every day are having an effect on both genders. Although females more commonly develop eating disorders, males develop them as well when they think that in order to be attractive they must me lean and muscular. Nobody is perfect, but sometimes it is hard to remember this when all you see are thin, beautiful people in front of you.