Media Sucks

The average women sees four hundred to six hundred advertisements per day, and by the time she is over seventeen years old, she has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media (Dittrich). Advertisers often emphasize the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell the products. Researchers are concerned that this places unneeded pressure on women to focus on their appearance. Also, researchers suggest advertising may directly impact women’s body image, which can lead to unhealthy behaviors as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media. This essay will attempt to prove that the media has a brutal effect on a women’s confidence.

First, the media portrays that beauty is a necessity for all women. Unfortunately, the media pushes an unnatural body type, making natural beauty impossible to accept. The average American woman is 5\'4\" tall and weighs 140 pounds. Where as, the average American model is 5\'11\" tall and weighs 117 pounds ( Nikki Katz). Society is being brainwashed by the media. In fact, studies show that more than sixty percent of women do not like what they see in the mirror (Rutherford).   Also, at young ages girls are impacted by the physical appearance of Barbie. Many people do not understand that looking like Barbie is physically impossible. Moreover, the models women see in magazines are completely flawless, and have incredible bodies. The majority of society could never look as good as the models they see. To summarize, women are discouraged with their bodies because the media only show beautiful women.

Next, the media portrays an image that women must be skinny to be accepted. At early ages girls are being bombarded constantly, with images of skinny models. Everyday girls have an ongoing battle with their bodies because the media sets unachievable standards. Also, the number one wish for girls ages eleven to seventeen is to be thinner. Girls as young as five have expressed...