Body Image and The Media
- Evie Wiseman
- Jan 5, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 1, 2021
TRIGGER WARNING: This article has mentions of eating disorders.
This image of the “perfect” body has been displayed to us throughout our entire lives. If you think back to when you were a child, strolling through the toy aisle at Target, you might remember a whole wall of Barbies, Monster High, and Bratz dolls. As a little kid, these toys might have seemed like goddesses. Perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect body. As much fun as they were fun to play with, it was hard to look at them without noticing the impossibly tiny waist and flat stomach. Even as little children, the thought of “why don’t I look like that?” was engraved into our minds.
Nowadays, the media makes it seem unacceptable to have anything but an hourglass figure, depicting princesses with tiny waists and our favorite celebrities posing perfectly in bikinis. It has suddenly become normal for people in the media to be “perfect,” when it is basic knowledge that humans are anything but. Yet, we still see constant news sources and blogs showing us the “flaws” of celebrities when it’s just normal things happening to the human body. Posts about “Has this person gained weight?” and “Are those stretch marks?!” have resulted in the ever-growing thought in people’s minds that maybe these “flaws” are unacceptable or ugly. Not only is this incredibly toxic toward celebrities, but it also has a detrimental impact on consumers of the media, specifically younger people.
People our age have grown up with something that no other generation did: technology. There are many benefits to this, like easy access to communication and even creative outlets and entertainment that never existed before. But, because of this exposure at such a young age, we are open to this problem of body image early on. Social media is the biggest culprit of this crime. We are shown pictures of Victoria’s Secret models and half-naked celebrities looking more like sculpted statues than actual living, breathing people. This causes young people to look into their mirror and begin to nitpick every little thing that doesn’t look like it does on Instagram. Not only is this horrible for someone’s self-esteem, most of the time those photos are edited and extremely posed. This means that children and teenagers who shouldn’t even be thinking about this kind of thing are dreaming of looking impossible.
Now that the rate at which teens are becoming aware of their body shape and size is getting younger and younger, the threat of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia are more prevalent than ever before. The media idolizes thinness, and with the amount teens are influenced, it gets to a point where they would do anything to get that sought after body type that is impossible to reach. It is statistically shown that by the age of 17, almost 90% of girls have tried some form of a diet.
The never-ending need to look a certain way combined with the lack of nutrition knowledge can lead to very risky behaviors to cope with hatred for their bodies. Because of all the toxic influence from the media, these dieting efforts can begin to fuel a feeling of control, often without them meaning to. In a time where there are so many factors in our lives out of our control, the idea that food can feel like something that can be controlled or restricted becomes a lot more appealing. Adding on to this, body dysmorphia, which involves focusing obsessively over a perceived “flaw” in your appearance, can be a significant aspect of the development of unhealthy habits. All of these components have the potential to lead to eating disorders.
It is incredibly important to know that thinking and feeling this way isn’t a choice. Eating disorders, more often than not, come fast and without time to think. The media has influenced countless teenagers of all genders to feel like they have to conform and look a certain way in order to live up to society’s standards of what’s “attractive.” Luckily, we aren’t the only ones who see a problem with the media. Several businesses, influencers, and brands have begun to incorporate body positivity into the products they put out. Even though showing a definition of beauty that is reflected by real women has improved, we still have a long way to go before the toxic ideas completely disappear from our lives.
Because of all this, it is incredibly important to spread awareness and information about eating disorders and body image in general. In times like today, knowing the genuine truths behind these “perfect” icons can hopefully destigmatize what a normal body actually is and show society that it’s just as beautiful.
If you or anyone you know might be suffering from an eating disorder, please use these links (in bio) or reach out to a loved one. Remember, everyone deserves recovery. <3
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