Within this generation of teenagers and adolescents, the media has applied more negative pressures than it has positive pressures. The issue that has quickly arisen started from commercials and magazines. The commercial media's choice of models is usually tall and skinny. Over the past few years, a study done by Brian Primack, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and showed a correlation between adolescent depression and certain types of commercial media. Due to the amount of media viewed, young girls have begun to believe that these models and actresses should be representative of real life girls. With this image engraved in the teenagers' minds, the effect of commercial media is way more influential than most realize. There are companies such as Vogue and Dove who are taking the first positive step in trying to change the body images that are being portrayed negatively. According to my research, there is a strong, positive correlation between commercial media viewing and adolescent depression (Dove).

There have been many studies that have shown that teenagers have agreed that the media has a heavy negative impact on them in this generation. Renee Botta, the Chair of the Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies at the University of Denver, wrote an article called, "The Relationship Between Magazine Reading and Adolescents' Body Image and Eating Disturbances." In this article, there was a study done with 400 high school and college students that focuses in on the image that is in graved in young adolescents' minds. Botta shared that "body Image and Eating Disturbances (BIED) occur when those perceptions and attitudes become distorted or agitated and include eating-disordered behaviors" (Botta 389). Botta follows this claim with a discussion about what companies advertise now and how it mentally affects younger generations. The source of this negative commercial media has stemmed from the models and actresses that are used in certain campaigns. In the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, young, unhealthy models are prancing around the stage. These models are displaying a type of body image that young girls these days believe they should look like. This is the start of the issue that is proven with the strong correlation between the media's advertisements and the increase in cases of depression and eating disorders.

Just looking at pictures in a magazine alone paints a false image in to adolescents' minds, but an actually comparison between an average teenage girl and a model puts physical numbers into young girls' heads as well. Lauren Effron, a digital producer for ABC News' late night news show, "Nightline," and ABCNews.com, shares that the average height for a model is between 5'9-6' and the average weight is between 110-130, 110 being for the 5'9 models and 130 being for the 6' models. According to Disabled World's average height and weight char, the average height for a teenage girl is about 125-130 and the average height is 5'4. The teenagers who watch these shows or read these articles subconsciously believe that if they do not look exactly like the model or actress then they need to dye their hair, or lose 20 pounds. This ties into eating disorders and depression. If girls feel that they need to lose weight to match a model, then they will start skipping meals, or even worse, start making themselves get sick after every meal.

Jenny Trout, a writer for the Huffington Post, discusses positive effects that celebrities have in the media. Trout wrote in her article, Jennifer Lawrence Body-Shames You More Than You Might Realize, that Lawrence "only reinforces our cultural standards, and perpetuates the myth that only on type of body is acceptable" (Trout). Lawrence has become a very positive aspect of the media. She is a famous character with many lead roles that have made her an idol to many girls. Some sources of media have negatively talked about Lawrence's weight as if she were obese. Even though these sources are still negative, some sources are promoting her "not so stick thin" body as a natural beauty campaign. Lawrence has a positive attitude about her weight and lifestyle. This gives off a positive effect on her viewers because they see that you do not always have to be a certain weight. She is an idol for many girls and that give them and their parents hope for the future.(Trout)
Jenny Trout discusses positive effects that celebrities have in the media. Celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence have begun to change the media as a whole. Lawrence was quoted by Mirror saying, "I'd rather look chubby on screen and like a person in real life." These are the type of comments that need to be heard by adolescents rather than viewing girls that are twenty pounds under weight. Lawrence was also quoted by Entertainment Weekly saying, "I eat like a caveman. I'll be the only actress that doesn't have anorexia rumors." Since Jennifer Lawrence is a known icon, her sending this message to young viewers is a benefit that the media has with commercial advertisement.

Aside from just putting false body images in adolescents' heads, the media has many more negative influences on teenagers. Nola Mokeyane, a case manager in the metro Atlanta area, wrote an article called, Media's Positive & Negative Influence on Teenagers. In this article, she points out that the media "glorifies negative behaviors" (Mokeyane). The media puts up pictures and articles about celebrities with eating disorders as if it is the next trend. When teenagers read these articles, they tend to follow in their "idol's" footsteps even if it means forcing an eating disorder. The media should be used as an intrsument for children to learn positive trends from, such as politics, instead of negative ones that constantly destroy their self-esteem. Having a child worshiping a celebrity that is only in the headlines for negative reasons is what the media has now turned this generation in to.

Manali Oak, an author for the Buzzle, shows the positive side of media by discussing cultural and political awareness. In Oak's article, Positive Effects of the Media, he shares that media has a positive influence on this young generation. Oak believes that without the media, it would hurt more rather than help its viewers. She believes this because our society has become more culturally diverse than it ever would have without the media coming about. The media gives us first hand a political side as well that is very important. Many politicians use the media to discuss their political views and it is aired on television or written about in the paper or a magazine. Society uses the media as an informative source, but companies these days are taking advantage of the endless access that the world has. Commercial media is everywhere and it has become to overshadow the positive aspects of it.

Oak has written positively about the media are looking at it in a different light. He believes that the media has two different audiences. The first type of audience uses the media as a knowledgeable instrument about events around the world. The second type of audience uses the media as a guide to the way they should live their lives. He understands that both of these audiences would be eliminated if the media was not a part of society, but he also realizes that commercial media is and always will be in the lives of both audiences. Commercial media has a huge impact on society and the audiences that it reaches.

Companies who use models and actresses with the idea in their head that they are what America looks like, are a leading cause of depressed adolescents. They might attract audiences that will accuse them of being inconsiderate of the younger generations who are suffering from depression due to the media. These authors would say that they are not ignoring the statistics that prove the increase of depression, but they are just showing that the media can be used in a positive manner just as well. Dove's natural beauty campaign might not catch on and that would seriously hurt the media as a whole because other than politics and cultural diversity, the media does not have too many other positive efforts. The other main things at stake for this point of view all ties up with the argument that the media does more harm than good, but these authors are trying to prove this statement to be false.

In Oak's article that discusses the positive effects of the media, he also talked about negative effects that the media has, such as eating disorders and depression. This author described both sides of the issue in depth. She kept a bias view about each and described that just as each side would have in their articles. Her two negative points were image and beauty standards, and praising the bad behavior that is shown in the media. The two positive points that she portrayed were cultural and political awareness, and increase of social skills. The talks evenly about both sides and does not lean towards one or the other.

This research has made my opinion about this issue even stronger. Last semester in my psychology of women class, we discussed this topic briefly and it was extremely intriguing to me. I always wondered about the studies behind this evidence and now I have been able to finally get deeper inside this issue. I believe very strongly that the media affects society more negatively than positively even after all the research I have conducted. There have been way more studies done that proved a correlation between depression, suicide, and eating disorders and the media. The other opinions on this issue have some valid reasons as to why the media is positive, but I do not believe they are significant enough to override the negative effects.

If I were to answer my own research question, I would say that the media as affected teens and adolescents in a very negative way. I would also say that, after looking at the tests and studies that have been done in order to prove this, there is a strong correlation between the increase of depression, eating disorders, and suicides and the negative effects of the media. There are a few things that I still need to research about. One of the things is the Jennifer Lawrence topic. I need to find a few articles that show how her weight gives the media a positive look. Another piece that I need to research more on are the positive aspects of the media because I have only found one article that discusses it.
