This Teen Truth video shows how the media is affecting teens everywhere. In this video, real teenagers confess their feelings about their image and how the media is the most at blame for these feelings. This short clip begins with some statistics about how often an average person will look in the mirror. Will what he or she sees be good enough? People who might normally be happy with their body image have been taught to believe they aren't good enough. The media has created expectations that teenagers as well as people younger and older now try to live up to. However, this "perfect image" that the media has created is negatively influencing society. The first girl to speak in the video begins with "I'm so unhappy with myself." No one should have to feel this way because of ideas put forth by the media. She follows that statement with "The world is so shallow that it has taught me that my body is who I am." Why have we allowed these beliefs to survive? Is a person really defined by their appearance. Sadly, many would agree that appearance is a defining factor. Personally, I think this is wrong. We should be able to see past a person's appearance and enjoy the person inside. Also, when we think of body image, often we only think of girls trying to change their appearance. Body image is a big issue for guys as well. The media has created the idea that a guy must have big, well defined muscles in order to be accepted. In this video, one guy states "I actually feel like I still need to get bigger." Men are defined by how strong and how big their muscles are. Yet again, this is an idea the media has created that is negatively influencing society. The more one hears how fat he or she is, the more one begins to believe and see that themselves. Whether it is true or not, guys and girls begin to think they are fat when all they hear from the media is that you need to be skinnier or have bigger muscles. The media portrays this message, but doesn't share the fact that the images published have all been edited. Because of this, people convince themselves that this is how they need to look without even realizing that the actual people in the pictures in magazines don't look this way. We need to move the focus away from having the "perfect" body image because when people obsess over this one issue they lose focus on everything else present in their lives. The media has created this idea of "You're never good enough for yourself" and we need to get rid of this theory. We wonder why so many people choose to crash diet, use steroids, or become anorexic or bulimic, but never solve the root of the problem. Teen Truth has taken the first steps to resolve this issue. Now the choice is up to you, will you follow in their footsteps?
The media has increasingly since World War II promoted thinner and thinner women as the ideal body image. Numerous studies have shown that the media's effects on children and teens are increasingly negative for example in a study on fifth graders it was found that the majority of boys and girls were dissatisfied with their own body after watching a music video by Britney Spears or a television clip from friends.
The media has increasingly since World War II promoted thinner and thinner women as the ideal body image. Numerous studies have shown that the media's effects on children and teens are increasingly negative for example in a study on fifth graders it was found that the majority of boys and girls were dissatisfied with their own body after watching a music video by Britney Spears or a television clip from friends.
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