Expectations of the Media and Society

Introduction

If you could, would you change something about yourself? What would it be? How many thought of something pertaining to their body? Thin is beautiful. Athletes, models, actors, rock stars! We all aspire to look as they do. The media presents us with photo-shopped images of unrealistic beauty – what we might call “perfect” – while society reinforces this standard through a social norm. Our society has to set these standards to aid in the media's images. What causes us, as a society, to set expectations for something we are all aware is unreal? My research explores the pressure and extreme measures an individual will undertake to be socially acceptable; such as becoming anorexic or bulimic. It also examines how our society works, past and present, to perceive this idealistic beauty image as they do. In light of my research, I've discovered that society is to blame in a domino effect way. I've reinforced my beliefs that the media presents and imperfect ideal of perfection; and that this in turn causes an unhealthy perspective on today's individual.

Peer Pressure

We all possess individual wills and proudly express that nobody can make us do anything if we don't want to. If that's the case, then why do we have anorexic or bulimic people? We are generally all consciously aware of the negative effects that such 'diets' bring us, and how dangerous they can be. We have a way of making it seem that we don’t care what people think, or that it doesn't affect us. That is the biggest lie we tell ourselves. We, however unconsciously, care and adjust to the unspoken demands of our society; thus resulting in the sometimes detrimental quest for a socially acceptable beauty. Recent statistics were taken and women admitted that they would give up five years of their lives just to realize weight loss goals. Introduced to the younger generation so early, our expectations of beauty are apparent. (Jonathan, 2011) We don't stop at pressuring these young girls in only one major society. One of the biggest cultural customs in China was to create what is called 'Lotus flower' feet on their girls to give them what was considered more 'feminine' feet. This process was done by breaking the toes in the foot and wrapping them tightly so they healed incorrectly. The process was extremely painful. This caused issues later on, leaving these girls with the inability to stand or walk properly and the inability to put weight on the front of their feet.(Tan, 2012) In so many ways we put pressures on our youth to look 'beautiful' and more often than not, they feel that they don't fit the bill.

Media and Society: Partners in Crime

Media presents us with these ideals of beauty that we cannot hope to attain, purely based on the fact that it is digitally enhanced. Since they are responsible for the presentation of the unrealistic imagery, we blame the people of the media right away for the issues arising. However, the media is us; we support the media and we create it. They are simply broadcasted to the mass population, yet all they hope to achieve is to give the society (consumers) what they wish to see. This brings me to wonder: is society actually to blame? All signs point to the answer being yes. When the media gives us what will capture our attention, we are inevitably creating the media to portray what we expect. Expectations are dangerous. We attempt to evolve and change to fit the social patterns of our present times, for better or for worse. Yet there must be a limit to this questionable quest, there must be a point we reach when we comprehend and begin to portray contentment with ourselves. In a sense, we change to please others until we realize that we should change to please ourselves.

Our Youth

Our youth is what defines the next generation and sets the future. When the number one concern for our youth is their weight, I personally feel uneasy. Even more so reading that since 1970 the age at which girls began dieting dropped from fourteen to eight by 1990. Reading statistics such as “50% of girls aged three to six are already concerned about their weight” or “81% of ten-year-old girls experience the fear of being fat” or “Adolescent girls are more afraid of gaining weight than getting cancer, losing a parent or nuclear war” makes us all a bit uneasy. Of course we don't want those insecurities to someday be in power, it would be unhealthy and chaotic, even more so than it already is. What's worse is they judge based on these things. A study offered preschoolers a choice between two dolls, identical except for their weight, and nine out of ten chose the thinner doll. Also, in another study, children were asked to rate other children based on attractiveness; the overweight children were rated lower than the deformed children.(Jonathan, 2011) Is that concerning to anyone else? These children should be worrying about what to play, not judging who they are playing with.

Teens Victimized

Teens are the most aware of the peer pressure, as if grades and friends weren't enough to worry about. Estimates show that about 5% of teens suffer from eating disorders; and around 10% of girls and 3% of boys binge eat at least once a week. Then to top it off, those social groups we all hate to be categorized in may help others in identifying higher risk teens. Studies have shown that those classified as 'brains' were usually the healthiest, yet were seen to do the most dieting. 'Jocks' or 'Populars' ate unhealthy but exercised the most. The 'burnouts' or 'troublemakers' seemed to be most concerned with their weight, and took the most measures to control it, regardless of how healthy it may be. (Squires. 2008) Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at the University of Chicago, Karam Radwan, states that body dysmorphic disorder, when someone feels that they look different than their actual appearance, is a big issue with teens. She also says that negative body image and eating disorders can lead to social anxiety or depression.(Prang, 2011) “Health care providers and school personnel might ask adolescent girls about their peer crowd affiliations in order to help identify adolescents with the highest levels of risky behavior” states Sally Squires. In any event, that isn't the only way to potentially help these people stay healthy and deter them from using potentially harmful methods to attain a socially acceptable beauty. The answer may lie in having family dinners, as cliché as it may sound. The family time has shown to reduce drug intake, drinking, smoking, and gives a healthier and more regular diet in teens. (Squires, 2008)

Memory Lane: Past Expectations

Societies expectations are subject to change at any moment, same as fads. In Medieval times, having more weight meant that you were rich enough to have a lot of food. In other words, big meant better because it meant fed. Being skinny, especially the kind of skinny people want nowadays, would mean you are a peasant of the lowest rank. 40 years back the wanted physique was curvy with some 'meat on your bones', and to attain such, they had all sorts of advertisements out to easily gain weight. That is no longer the case; now we can't seem to go a day without seeing an advertisement about losing weight. We hold ourselves up to these iconic women and men to judge our beauty. Most models presently could be considered anorexic, and are essentially the opposite of the average U.S. woman. 20 years ago, models averaged 8% less than the average woman, but now the number is up to 23%. (Jonathan, 2011) Society changes their minds constantly, why should you change your body to please them?

Happy in Your Own Skin?

 Let's take a look at our news feed on Facebook. We get all these pictures such as the one previously shown, yet look at the girl behind the message. They often have the exact body image that we are attempting to deter from as the stereotype of beauty. We know what society does to us, we know what trying to please people can do to us and we are endlessly told that we should love ourselves and our bodies. It still doesn't get through to us, because we are still too busy thinking “I want that guy/girl to like me”. It's natural, we survive by our genes, we look for certain aspects to carry on our lineage, and that is proven scientifically. We pick people with certain looks to be our “mate” based on symmetry, status, well-being, etc. However, that doesn't mean that people that lack some of these aspects will never find a mate. Believing that is the undoing of these individuals who yearn to appease everyone with their appearance and suitability. Being happy with yourself may be the only solution but how do we do this? Simply telling someone to do so won't often work, it takes time and confidence and contentment in your skin.

Conclusion

Society as a whole creates the media, there is no escaping that fact. In return, the media attempts to give consumers what they wish to see. As a result of that need to produce, individuals in the society suffer from acute pressures to look and behave in certain ways. An individual will persist in dangerous behaviors if the outcome would be acceptance from their peers. The media plays a part in this deterioration of the individual in the society, this inability to accept ones self as beautiful or wanted. We aim to blame the media alone, though we ourselves create said media. We feed it, we consume what they sell us, and we reinforce the beliefs that they will portray in their very public way. We develop a preconceived image of what this 'perfection' would be without taking anything else into account. To alleviate this issue, we must stop changing for other people, and change only for ourselves. When we can find contentment in ourselves, maybe then we can solve the detrimental perceptions. Saying so is easy of course, it's a matter of believing. When you believe though, things change; we change.

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

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That was my English 1010 Classical Argument. Pretty huge, hmm? Well dearies If you got through all of that I thank you. I know it isn't quite my normal, obviously it couldn't have my little side comments. One more thing, watch "The Science of Sex Appeal" It isn't bad or anything but oh wow, is it interesting! (:

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