Im doing a study at college about the effect the media has on young peoples self image and their burst to be thin and attractive just like what they see on tv or in the papers. Does the media do it intetionally to try and shape modern day society in to a perfect image? Is it the media's fault the world is experiencing a world wide treat to eating disorders? Let me know what you think because at the end of the day it you guy's I'm talking about

actualy yes. my grandpa, is happy with his way of living.

yes maybe...but can you say that they never were like "oh i wish i was like this or had that"
but hey if someone is compltle happy with how they are then great

quote:

Originally posted by EternalAmordeya:
i also think that we just have a natual tendency to want to be perfect....

no way, i know alot of people who are happy soaking in there sweat for days at a time.

i also think that we just have a natual tendency to want to be perfect....

Personally I don't believe that the media is to blame for eating disorders. They may contribute to them, but they shouldn't be completely blamed. I'm offended by how some people pin all thinner women to have an eating disorder, or that "real women have curves". That is very offensive. Women come in all shapes and sizes. As to eating disorders, I have known some girls who have had them. Most of them have developed one because of someone in their life telling them they're "fat". A father, a mother, a friend.

Agh. Well i wanted to let them off easy, see...

Hehe. Well, at least the others aren't very active...

only 10? you sure bella?

(See other 10 threads on subject.)

I think the media influences some girls, but not all girls. Personally, I would feel more pressure to be something if all my friends were it, not if a lot of models or actresses in magazines or wherever were it.

i feel soo sorry about that me and my friend are doing an project at school about eating disorders and how the media affects it ur opinion has been very helpful to us

i personally think the media is somewhat responsible for girls developing eating disorders. when everything around you is telling you that you have to be thin, rich, and have nice hair to be cool, many teenage girls will do anything to fit in. especially the ones that have been picked on or are getting picked on. the "outsiders" may also fall into this vision of what it means to be "perfect". but it's not all a direct effect from the media. sometimes, teens see from the media what you have to look like to be cool, so they make fun of those who aren't. then the ones getting made fun of try to change themselves to fit other people's opinions. it makes me sick. people need to have some self confidence. they need to not care about other's opinions. they whole time you're trying to please someone else, you're doing that, but not how you want. their happy cause they get to see you squirm. and what's worse is they'll never really change their opinions of you. so you're trying to do something that you think will make you happy, but it won't. if you just be yourself, you'll be happy, ana you'll have real friends. that sounds like a much better life to me.

quote:

I've been overweight since the 3rd grade. And now I'm suddenly trying to lose weight, not for others or to be accepted or cuz of the media, just for me, to be healthy. It does disgust me that people are saying "Thin is in". The world's not perfect, and we should know that by now. I think people like Jessica Simpson (although very beautiful), Hilary Duff, Lara Flynn Boyle, Mary-Kate Olsen, Selma Blair, Calista Flockhart, and others are the reason girls these days are starving themselves to be perfect. I not only blame those celebrities, but I'm also blaming shows. Extreme Makeover, I want a famous face, The Swan, and America's Next Top Model. I have friends that are anorexic cuz of those shows. I don't know what else to say....

Though the above celebrities may have some impact on girls with eating disorders, I really don't think they cause that much of a problem.

As for the media affecting the way we view ourselves, is true. But it always has been. And as faerienite said, the ones who are mainly affected are not sheep, just insecure and wanting to be loved in the same way they see celebrities are. And, since they cannot know more about them than their physical appearance, that's what they copy/imitate.

In short, the media doesn't make it their mission in life to make girls feel terrible about themselves. They are merely trying to advertise whatever it is that they want to sell (clothes, bags, makeup, ect...) to make a profit.

Also, I would like to point out that Jessica Simpson, though thin, is by no means skinny. She's beautiful and very attractive, but doesn't deserve to be on the list when we are discussing weight related issues. Especially in comparison to MK Olsen, who is annorexic(sp?) and also a COMPLETELY different body type than Miss Simpson.

quote:

Does the media do it intetionally to try and shape modern day society in to a perfect image? Is it the media's fault the world is experiencing a world wide treat to eating disorders?

The media probably does not have an agenda to create more unrest in the world of beauty to society's standards to hurt just about everyone's body image, but it still does. It doesn't try to create a utopia, I think it just wants to show off what attractive images they can create, despite what pitiful effects come of it. Eating disorders have always been around, and though the media knows they just further inflame the problem; they don't cease their money-making methods. Why would they? They're unstoppable glamor Nazis, and that's the better of the two fantatist evils.

And as for their followers, they're not quite the mindless hypnotized followers. They're more like people who have low self-esteem or self-confidence so they emulate what society loves. And that's part of human, or even animal nature if you want to make a huge generalization of it and compare this to children wanting to be just like their heroes of parents. Sure, the media hasn't fed, mothered, and clothed anyone, but they often serve as a hugely influential figure because of their intriguing mystery that seems so out of our world. And people have always been tantalized by foreign beautiful things so much that they sometimes wonder why they aren't one of them. So they set out to try to be.

I've been overweight since the 3rd grade. And now I'm suddenly trying to lose weight, not for others or to be accepted or cuz of the media, just for me, to be healthy. It does disgust me that people are saying "Thin is in". The world's not perfect, and we should know that by now. I think people like Jessica Simpson (although very beautiful), Hilary Duff, Lara Flynn Boyle, Mary-Kate Olsen, Selma Blair, Calista Flockhart, and others are the reason girls these days are starving themselves to be perfect. I not only blame those celebrities, but I'm also blaming shows. Extreme Makeover, I want a famous face, The Swan, and America's Next Top Model. I have friends that are anorexic cuz of those shows. I don't know what else to say....

quote:

Originally posted by weeze1988:
Im doing a study at college about the effect the media has on young peoples self image and their burst to be thin and attractive just like what they see on tv or in the papers.

Well, first off, I want to be thin and attractive because I want to be thin and attractive. It doesn't have anything to do with the media...or boys (my bf likes me just the way I am)...or anyone else. It's what I want for myself.

quote:

Does the media do it intetionally to try and shape modern day society in to a perfect image?

Most of the people in the media that would have something to do with this are celebrities. They wear what's "in." So I say the fashion designers are at fault because they start the chain reaction. They make the clothes that are in style...they make them so that they are only attractive on thin people...and then the thin celebrities who start the trends wear the clothes and it snowballs from there. The media is just doing its job.

quote:

Is it the media's fault the world is experiencing a world wide treat to eating disorders?

No, of course not. Humans have their own minds and make their own decisions. If we're just a bunch of mindless drones who do nothing but what the media tells us to do...well, then we might as well all kill ourselves now.

Thankyou and you did make sense, I also suffered from an eating disorder for about 6month but my mother force fed me and helped me get away from it. Thankyou for your imput xxx

I'm not too sure how to answer all of your questions but I am 16 and have suffered from eating disorders since I was about ten. I always compared myself to anyone skinnier than me and I knew that I weighed only a little more but it still didnt count, I just wasen't and still feel I am not skinny enough for the world. If that makes sense.
I guess the media has influenced me because how often in a movie is there an overweight chick being the most popular girl at school? Constantly seeing pretty wafe looking people made me want to look that way too. I think the media has created a very hard place for teens to be comfortable with the way that they look these days.

Sorry if I'm not making sense... I think I am confusing myself. Hmm..