Week # 15 - Media and Body Image

Although not audibly, the media speaks to us. The media whispers in our ears as we pass by billboards. It says “not good enough. Not smart enough. Not tall enough. Not skinny enough. Not light enough.  Not manly enough. Not unique enough. You are not enough.”

We don’t realize that the media is poisoning our minds with thoughts of inadequacy. Young girls look in the mirror and think, I would be pretty if_______. You fill in the blank. I know I did as a young girl. I let the media tell me that because my body type was bad because it was different.  It took me years to realize that the media was lying to me. But finally one day at a particularly difficult softball practice I realized that my body had purpose. My body was created to be strong, and it was.  Realizing that was the turning point for me. I switched from hating myself, to seeing that I had worth because I was created that way.

The media is so influential. Not only does the media influence the mind of young girls, but it affects boys as well. The media tell boys that the only way to be a man is to me tough and strong. Big boys don’t cry. But with so much power the media could have such a powerful positive influence. However, the media chooses to project unrealistic expectations of people. The Target ad shown in class for instance, shows biologically impossible standards of women. The woman in the photo had such a wide “thigh-gap” due to photo-shop that she literally was missing half of her vagina. What that does is set a standard that cannot be met by anyone, including the models that are supposed to portray that body image.

Bottom line? We need to diversify the media. More races and ethnicities, varying sizes, and heights. More than anything, we need to stop photo-shopping models to have bodies that are literally biologically impossible. We need change, and we need it now.