Paper Summary:

This paper explores the power of the media in creating cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and its impact on women and young girls. The writer of this paper contends that the media depicts an unattainable image of beauty which negatively affects women who are already conditioned to feel insecure with their bodies. This paper examines the correlation between the media's perception of beauty and eating disorders. While media messages screaming "thin is in" may not directly cause eating disorders, they do create the context within which young women learn to place a value on the size and shape of their body. The media has been and continues to be a dominant source of self-image as it relates to gender socialization. This paper also contains relevant studies and statistics regarding this particular topic.

From the Paper:

"These images are not only insulting but also frightening. Women are already conditioned to feel insecure about their bodies and media images such as this only serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes. As Willis states, the experiences of an individual are a function of processes and institutions that extend far beyond, and exist independently of, individuals. Thus simply telling women "not to worry" about what other people think and to feel good about themselves no matter how greatly the media thwarts this task, is not sufficient. The changes in body image need to be made within the media, not within the women themselves."

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