Mass Media’s Effect on Women’s Self Image

Paper Info
Page count 3
Word count 922
Read time 4 min
Subject Media
Type Essay
Language 🇺🇸 US

Abstract

This research will try to identify the effect of media on women’s self-image. The impact could be either positive or negative. Conducted studies and researches state that this impact is negative in the majority of cases (Norris, 1997). This result corresponds to the problems that women experience about their appearance, attractiveness, and weight. In the course of this research, several effects would be stated and explained. The research also states that the media effect is presented among women more than among men due to the approach of advertising companies which pay more attention to women than to men as well as to their appearance and weight (Norris, 1997).

Introduction

The definition of mass media corresponds to a section of media that is specially created and developed to reach and cover a very large audience that is the population of a country. The development of mass media started in the 1920s together with the advancement of radio networks, magazines, and newspapers. With the years passing by the impact of the mass media on the viewers increased and at present time it cannot be denied (Norris, 1997). The impact of the mass media on females could be represented as an issue that corresponds first of all to the female self-image and everything that she sees on the screen is interpreted in her mind to fit self requirements. A woman in mass media is represented as an object of desire (Galician, 2004). Various companies oriented on product selling activity in different market segments like cosmetics, food, exercise equipment, and others portray a woman as an object of desire and a model how every woman must look like comprising high requirements which could not be met by an average woman (Galician, 2004). This activity resulted in a social approach that a woman should look like in the advertisements in magazines and on TV. This activity also established a social comparison standard (Galician, 2004).

Methodology

This paper will examine the existing material on the issue using printed sources as well as the Internet. The analysis will be conducted only on the basis of reliable sources that will exclude misinterpretation and will allow presenting only correct data, also the research will carry out a primary study using Questionnaire and experimental group of 20 women of different age and body shape to identify the main issues of the mass media impact on women (Kundanis, 2003). During the study, the women in the group were not informed about the study until the introduction of a Questionnaire which was considered as a final stage of the study. The results of the study will be compared with the results obtained during research activity in order to establish correlation and prove the theoretical basis or to make certain corrections in theory. The conclusion part will deal with the identification of the main issues related to mass media and women and will evaluate the impact as positive or negative.

Results

The results obtained in the course of research identified the negative impact of mass media on women and indicated that this impact interacts with the self-image of a woman’s shape and attractiveness (Norris, 1997). This negative impact was observed in both types of research. That fact allows the statement that the theoretical part of the issue proves the study results and vice versa. The interaction of mass media and woman’s behavior was established and proven (Galician, 2004). It should be stated that women acted unconsciously and the results obtained with the help of a Questionnaire differed from the behavior observed during the study.

Discussion

According to the theory, most of the women watching mass media often experience body dissatisfaction and eating disorders which in turn can influence the mental health of a female (Galician, 2004). This theory is considered to be the most influential while examining the impacts of mass media. In the study, it was expected that women who are influenced by mass media will react to the images of advertisements that represent slim body shapes also it was expected that women who experience weight problems and eating disorders will react more expressively. The study took into consideration the following aspects: existing body image, age, and time period of mass media. Mass media sources were also variable and included: female movie stars, fashion models, attractive women nonmodels overweight women, animals, cars, and houses. According to the results obtained from the study, it could be concluded that all the 20 participants experienced negative effects while observing samples of thin body images. However, it could be stated that the participants who did not experience body dissatisfaction issues reacted less negatively. Also, it could be stated that participants with the age under 19 were reacting more negatively than more elder participants (Kundanis, 2003). The effect caused by full-body shape images was less than by slim body images of a woman. Another correlation was established for the time period when participants were affected by the presented samples. As the time period increased the effect increased too.

Conclusion

As it could be seen from the research conducted mass media poses a great impact on women. In the majority of cases, this influence is negative and refers to the self-image of a woman considering her body shape and attractiveness. Various mass media sources promote and even establish a standard of female body image. These standards influence female feelings badly and can cause mental diseases and health disorders (Kundanis, 2003). Further research should be conducted in order to identify the reasons why women watch and read mass media sources.

Works Cited

Culture for the Millions: Mass Media in Modern Society. Ed. Norman G. Jacobs. Boston: Beacon Press, 1964.

Galician, Mary-Lou. Sex, Love & Romance in the Mass Media: Analysis & Criticism of Unrealistic Portrayals & Their Influence. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.

Kundanis, Rose M. Children, Teens, Families, and Mass Media: The Millennial Generation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.

Norris, Pippa, ed. Women, Media, and Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Women and Mass Communications in the 1990’s: An International, Annotated Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.

Cite this paper

Reference

EduRaven. (2021, October 19). Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image. Retrieved from https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/

Reference

EduRaven. (2021, October 19). Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/

Work Cited

"Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." EduRaven, 19 Oct. 2021, eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.

References

EduRaven. (2021) 'Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image'. 19 October.

References

EduRaven. 2021. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.

1. EduRaven. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.


Bibliography


EduRaven. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.

References

EduRaven. 2021. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.

1. EduRaven. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.


Bibliography


EduRaven. "Mass Media's Effect on Women’s Self Image." October 19, 2021. https://eduraven.com/mass-medias-effect-on-womens-self-image/.