Media s Influence On Society - 1454 Words

The Media’s Chokehold The media s influence on society is suffocating and undeniable. Body image has become overwhelmingly present in most media today. The front cover of a magazine may critically exclaim â€Å"so-and-so has cellulite† or â€Å"so and so is too thin†. Popular reality stars like Nicole Polizzi (otherwise known as â€Å"Snooki†) have been criticized for being to large and then criticized for being too thin after dropping the weight. The media teaches people to be unsatisfied with their bodies and often indirectly and directly advocates unhealthy habits. The effect that the media and advertising have on obesity and eating disorders in both men and women is one too big to ignore. It has become very common today for people†¦show more content†¦The amount of exposure that people have to advertising every day is absolutely a factor in what they choose to eat and how they see themselves. Think about it: have you ever seen an advertisement for McDonald’s where the person eating the cheeseburger was overweight? Advertisements for unhealthy foods almost always feature thin, happy people eating to their heart’s content. This representation subconsciously makes people feel that the deep fried food they are shoveling into their mouths will not impact them negatively. Contrary to Hollingsworth’s statements, advertising does have a large impact on the choices people make when it comes to food. On the other side of the spectrum, advertising and media are also leading people to make unhealthy choices that can ultimately lead to eating disorders. This is particularly, but not exclusively true for women. The advertisements for diet plans, pills, and surgery have the population counting calories and restricting their intakes to extreme degrees in many cases. The current image of a â€Å"healthy body† is even questionable and unattainable. The models on the covers of magazines have been heavily photosh opped to appear incredibly thin, putting pressure on women to emulate this false representation of perfection. Meaghan Kausman, a model for Fella Swim swimwear, recently spoke out against an image of herself that was published in an advertisement which had been very heavily edited. Tara Culp