In terms of modern technology-based society, media exposure has significantly increased its influence and role in the lives of its large audience. However, the variety of media outlets has the power to adversely impact the public mindset and deeply-embedded perception of the human body and beauty standards. As such, media tends to send a strong message claiming that the general population values “thin, white, and able bodies” over the rest of the human body types (Grabe, Ward, and Hyde, 2008, p. 460). Such a damaging and controversial statement inadvertently neglects the uniqueness and differences of the female body, in particular, and poses critical threats to the development of mental disorders. The existing research found a close linkage between the prevalence of media exposure and the increase of eating disorders among girls and young women.
The Changing Role of Media Concerning Body Image
Over the past few years, many young girls and women demonstrated an enhanced level of severe dissatisfaction with their own body image and appearance based on biased strict beauty standards. The latter are continually imposed by the mass media and long-established modelling parameters. It is essential to consider why the predominant image of the female body is much thinner compared to the past depiction of the female forms and the actual modern and diverse female population. More specifically, the media is mainly targeted at young girls, adolescences, and women, and is filled with the unachievable and outrageous ideal of a female body (Grabe et al., 2008). The studies also emphasize the communications theories, which claim that the recurrent impact of media makes the audience to accept the established media portrayals as representations of reality.
Media Exposure Effects
The modern body image representation on mass media comprises the culturally-ideal lean, tall, and youthful body shape for women and a muscular physique for men. Such characteristics and standards are considered a primary impetus behind the rise in eating disorders (ED) symptoms. Hausenblas, Campbell, Menzel, Doughty, Levine, and Thompson (2013) state that viewing the images of the contradictory ideal body results in enhanced depression and anger and a decrease in self-esteem. Moreover, it is a repeated acute media exposure, which cultivates, triggers, and strengthens chronic body image concern and eating disturbance for individuals at an increased risk for ED. According to Hausenblas et al. (2013), high-risk individuals include those overweight and obese, biased of a thin ideal of beauty, high self-objectifiers, low self-esteem, and already experiencing disordered eating. Therefore, there is a causal relationship between idealized images and such adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health due to the regular access to media exposure.
Media Literacy Prevention of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders (ED) are mental illnesses commonly caused by external environmental factors that affect one’s ability to pursue healthy eating habits. The consequent destructive dietary patterns result from the interaction of “biological, psychological, and environmental components” (Le, Barendregt, Hay, and Mihalopoulos, 2017, p. 6). Furthermore, people suffering from anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, hold an increased obsession over self-image and sense of shame overeating food. Such a set of properties consume a person’s daily thoughts and actions. Le at al. (2017) ‘s findings include that media literacy interventions critically eliminate shape and weight issues for both females and males in terms of universal ED prevention. McLean, Wertheim, Masters, and Paxton (2017) state that healthy media literacy is crucial for social activities and should aim towards enhanced critical thinking and scepticism about media. Media literacy (ML) prevention methods were proved efficient in eliminating ED risk factors, such as body dissatisfaction, weight and shape concern, as well as the related symptoms.
Media literacy intervention was followed by self-esteem enhancement, obesity prevention, and multicomponent interventions. It was the only prevention method superior to other active intervention controls in diminishing media internalization of males. As described by Levine and Smolak (2020), the main goal for ML prevention implies resisting unhealthy cultural messages regarding gender, weight, shape, and control, and forming healthier ecology for each actively involved media user. Thus, a well-developed media literacy in modern society provides an opportunity for transforming offensive media into its healthier forms and messages without stigmatized effects. With this said, the adverse effects of media exposure can be regarded as the lack of media literacy and inadequately constituted messages affecting society. Even in its smallest terms, every form of media outlets has a critically strong and powerful impact on manipulating the human mind and shaping the general perception of good and bad body image.
Conclusion
The researchers commonly argue that the exposure to mass media appreciating the thin-ideal female body is inherently associated with body image disturbance in women. Idealized visual content imposing unattainable body figure has the harmful and substantial influence on the audience already at risk for developing an eating disorder. The lack of media literacy directly defines the inadequateness of media exposure, specifically concerning the biased body image perspective. Based on the examined research and personal perception of media effects, media literacy should reinforce proficiency in building media platforms to reduce its persuasive negative influence. The modern media environment needs to be transformed towards equitable, tolerant, and respectful platform appreciating all the existing body shapes and their uniqueness, thus, significantly reducing the level of eating disorder symptoms.
References
Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008). The role of the media in body image concerns among women: A meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 460–476. Web.
Hausenblas, H. A., Campbell, A., Menzel, J. E., Doughty, J., Levine, M., & Thompson, J. K. (2013). Media effects of experimental presentation of the ideal physique on eating disorder symptoms: A meta-analysis of laboratory studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(1), 168–181. Web.
Le, L. K.-D., Barendregt, J. J., Hay, P., & Mihalopoulos, C. (2017). Prevention of eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 53, 46–58. Web.
Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (2020). The prevention of eating problems and eating disorders: Theories, research, and applications. Routledge.
McLean, S. A., Wertheim, E. H., Masters, J., & Paxton, S. J. (2017). A pilot evaluation of a social media literacy intervention to reduce risk factors for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(7), 847–851. Web.