Perfect skin, toned muscles, flat stomach. Who doesn’t want this? I mean, I know I do. Modern media communicates the false image of citizens in America today. Females, especially teenage girls, are among the majority of those affected. Media in today’s world exacerbates the need to be perfect. Because of Photoshop, men and women find themselves striving to become just like the flawless models in magazines, on TV, and in other sources of media. I for one know that reading a magazine and watching TV at the same time doesn’t help the cause.

We all watch TV, read magazines, and see the hidden statement that these companies covey. We all fall into the trap that the media sets for us, and we all want and try to look like the faultless people on TV. Blake Lively? I know I want to look like her.

We are transfixed on the allure of these models and actors that we only see the superficial message that they send. When we open our minds, we can see that these horrible messages are detrimental to our future generations.

OMG! She looks so fat. Sorry, some women crossing the street just distracted me.
Even though we know that these images are misleading, we start to bring people, including ourselves, down. People in the world aim to appear like the impossible ideals that advertisements promote.

Media conveys an image that people from all over the world try to copy. This depiction of the human body, however, is not realistic. The absurdity of this issue leads to people developing eating disorders, people having plastic surgery, obsession with exercise, and people starting ridiculous diets.

There used to be a time when filled out women were considered normal in the media, but as time went on social norm changed. The norm became to be thin and perfect with no impurities, which is humanly impossible. This new “norm” leads to growing health concerns because of the harsh conditions we put our bodies through to become thin.

Binge and purge? That. Is. Nasty. Maybe sounds gross to you, but people do it. Anorexia and Bulimia threaten one’s health, and they can lead to death and long-term health concerns.
Depression? Must be a psycho. Depression is a very common health concern among people with body consciousness.

“Teenage girls who viewed commercials depicting women who modeled the unrealistically thin-ideal type of beauty caused adolescent girls to feel less confident, angrier and more dissatisfied with their weight and appearance,” the National Institute of Media said. Girls start to diet at an extremely young age, as young as 5. 90% of high school juniors and seniors diet regularly; I hear it everywhere I turn, “I just ate a 100 calorie snack, so now I can only eat a salad later today” or, “I am going to start counting my calories before spring break because I don’t want to look fat”. Teenage girls bend over backwards to try and look like the models and actresses they see on TV and in magazines.

Because of this inaccurate body image that the media portrays, people considered normal weight people to look fat on TV; I watch TV with my own family when they will say that a celebrity looks fat. The truth is that that celebrity is actually normal and even probably thinner than most average women. The media is brainwashing people into thinking that stick thin is normal. Don’t get me wrong, I participate in this action as well as others, it is just that we need to realize what the true facts are.

An average supermodel’s weight and height is 129 pounds and 5’10”, but the truth is that American women average a weight and height of 164 pounds and 5’4”. Ali Pedersen, a school social worker that works with teens, revealed, “The average woman is a size 12, yet TV, movies, and fashion designers only utilize those who are size two or four.” Heart of Leadership and Weighing the Facts found appalling statistics. 80% of 10-year-old girls are afraid of being fat and have dieted, and 50% of 10-year- old girls wish they were skinnier. 25% of 15-17 year-old girls consider plastic surgery, and more than 90% of girls 15-17 years want to change something about their appearance, and body weight is ranked the highest. 80% of women are not pleased with their image in the mirror. Less than 5% of the female population fulfills the perfect model of thinness that the media portrays.

Photoshop is the media’s best friend, but the rest of the population’s worst enemy. Photoshop changes the way someone looks in order to give him or her optimal results and perfection. Actresses that are photo shopped to perfection enables damaging self-consciousness that overwhelms people, mostly damaging the confidence in teenage girls.
Media needs to end the relentless portrayal of the “normal body”. People need to acknowledge the fact that these representations of the human body are not healthy, and instead of promoting flawlessness, we need to help further the knowledge of a healthy body. People need to understand the images of different shapes, sizes, and bodies in order for self-confidence to prosper in the modern world. Teenage girls are among the most affected by this repulsive advertising but they are not the only one’s. Here’s the skinny, society must recognize that the media’s portrayal and communication of the perfect body is flawed.


Works Cited
"(Body) Image is Everything." Chicago Now. N.p., 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
Swinson, Jo. "False beauty in advertising and the pressure to look 'good'." CNN Opinion. CNN, 10 Aug. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
Turner, Ariel. "Media communicates false definition of beauty to teens." my.hsj.org. N.p., 19 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.