80% of women feel that the woman they see in movies and on television make them feel more insecure about themselves and their bodies (Strickland). Some people may believe that the media is promoting a positive body image, but clearly that is not the case. The media is causing teenage girls to have a negative body image through the unrealistic body type and beauty standards it presents to the public, which lead to lower self-esteem and eating disorders in young women.

Negative body image is when you feel disgusted by your body and often feel as if you are not good enough ("What is Body ... "). People with a negative, or unhealthy body image, tend to feel that appearance determines one's worth as a person. Positive body image, on the other hand, is when you feel good about your body and are comfortable in your own skin. People with a positive, or healthy body image, don't obsess over what their body looks like or constantly compare themselves to others ("What is Body ... "). One of the most important differences between negative and positive body image is that people with a positive body image are able to identify the unrealistic and inaccessible standards portrayed in the media. They avoid making comparisons of themselves to what they see in the media. Where as people with negative body image cannot avoid making these comparisons and this tends to lead to an attempt to change one's body shape, which can be dangerous. 

Low self-esteem is a direct result of negative body image and low self-esteem can lead to eating disorders. An eating disorder is a very complex and serious mental health condition, which does not derive from any one thing in particular, although negative body image can be a frequent factor. Body dissatisfaction and a distorted view of one's body shape is one characteristic of eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction is linked with negative body image and can result from the media's portrayal of an unrealistic body type.  

The "ideal body type" has changed throughout history and more often than not this body image has been impractical and unattainable. In colonial times, women in the community had to be physically strong and fertile in order to take care of their large families. Women needed to be fit and tough in order to endure the harsh environment and help their families survive (Derenne). In the 19th century, however, tiny waists started to become the standard. Women were considered fragile and often sickly because of the measures they would take to slim their waists. Corsets became a major fashion element during this time period. Society favored physically strong and able women again during the Second World War. However, women began to take on the traditional family role again when the men came home after the war. Dresses gained popularity and the "ideal body type" was more curvaceous and shapely than before. It wasn't until the 1960's that the extremely thin ideal body type returned, and has pretty much stayed constant ever since then. The supermodel Twiggy was introduced in the 1960's and her extremely skinny frame differed from past models, which attracted a new trend in the fashion world. Her image showed other models and fans that being thin was the key to success and fame. As models were getting skinnier in size, the average American was doing the opposite ("Slim Is In"). This proves the overwhelming and negative affect that the media's portrayal of body image has on people. The standard body type that the media represents today remains gaunt and emaciated, which is continuing to affect how teenage girls view their bodies and themselves. 

Society has again reached a point where the ideal body image is impractical and unattainable. Models weigh 23% less than the average woman, where as this difference twenty years ago was only 8% (Miller). This proves that the issue is increasing and that the media is sending a message that being thin is of upmost importance in life, which it is not. According to a study of 3200 women ages 16-25, over half said, "the media made them feel that being 'pretty and thin' was the 'most important thing'" (Bawdon). Girls should not feel that their appearance is the most essential part of their life, especially when the women portrayed in the media are unrealistically thin. The "perfect body image" in today's society is considered to be 5'10" and 120 pounds. Meanwhile, the average woman is really about 5'4" and weighs 169 pounds (Springer). The differences in those statistics are vast and it shows how absurd it is to strive for a body image that is not even considered to be normal or healthy. According to a study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, only 5% of Americans possess the body type portrayed in the media (Strickland). That means that 95% of women could be striving for a body type that is natural or attainable for them. Although this number is a mere 5%, women still can't comprehend how uncommon it is to be that thin mainly because thinness is the prime focus of the media. Every time they turn on the television or scroll through social media, they see one extremely skinny girl after another and automatically think that that is how they should look. 

Society has created an allusion that there is a certain type of body shape and weight that everyone should have. Most teenagers and younger people don't believe they fall under this category, which leads to self-esteem and health problems. People get insecure and start to obsess over what they eat, which can be warning signs of eating disorders. Eating disorders have been linked directly to the body image portrayed by the media. The National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH, says that "striving for an abnormally low body weight at all costs" is one of the defining characteristics of eating disorders ("Anorexia Facts ... "). Adolescents assume that the ideal body type portrayed is there for them to follow and look up to, especially since the times that overweight or even normal bodies are shown on television, it is usually in a negative way. Female characters tend to have bodies that are smaller and thinner than normal, well below the recommended size for their particular weight. People who are unable to reach this ideal body image that is presented in the media begin to take extreme actions. On television, thinness is generally associated with happiness, leading to the mindset that one must be thin to be happy and satisfied.

The social comparison theory can be related to this idea of the media's impact. Leon Festinger proposed the social comparison theory in the 1950's. According to Psychology Today, this theory states "people rely on external models on which to form their expectations" (Vitelli). The models and celebrities in the media act as these external models to which girls compare themselves. Feelings of inferiority and not being good enough arise after seeing these models on television and in social media. Models and celebrities create a certain standard for the public and research shows that women feel depressed when they don't reach this high standard (Vitelli). When girls compare themselves to women in the media, they often wonder why they don't look like that woman and what they could possibly do to look like her. They begin to think, 'how can I better myself?' This feeling of inadequacy can lead to a downward spiral that is hard to come out of. Even though the media is not always providing real images and setting attainable goals, most teenage girls don't realize this, which makes it even harder to break through this low point and gain confidence back.

Photoshop plays a very important role in the media and contributes to the negative effect that the media has on teenage girls. Many images in today's society are being altered to portray unrealistic standards of beauty. Unrealistic body image expectations can be derived from alterations made through processes like Photoshop and can lead to eating disorders and diminish confidence and self-esteem (Diller). Most people don't look at an image on social media and automatically think about whether it is altered or not. You see a model on the cover of a magazine, for instance, with flawless skin and a perfect body and a common first reaction would be to feel meek and uncomfortable in your own skin in comparison. Unfortunately, this reaction is very normal in today's society, considering the overpowering affect of the media. If there were words across an image that stated, "This is Photoshopped", most people would most likely not feel belittled and react in such a way because the lack of authenticity becomes obvious. That is the problem with Photoshop: companies get away with altering their images and don't have to declare when their images aren't real. If they were required to state whether an image has been altered or not, it would truly help decrease the unrealistic expectations of beauty that arise.

One might say that magazines and tabloids do care about the consequences of using Photoshop, but I don't see how this can be true if they continue to alter their images. An article in the Huffington Post speaks about Photoshop saying, "Magazines aren't using these images because they just don't understand or care that Photoshopping promotes unrealistic and highly problematic representations of beauty. They get it" (Perle). This is dubious because if companies who use Photoshop really thought about the repercussions for completely altering an image, this would not be such an issue. They clearly don't realize how many people they are affecting by altering their images and setting unrealistic standards of beauty. Photoshop is just a small part of how the impractical body type in the media leads to a negative body image, but banning companies from using it without a clear declaration would be one big step towards combating this problem.

As a teenage girl who is very connected on social media, I understand the effect that the media can have. I have not struggled with an eating disorder, but I do recognize the negative influence that the media has and how it can make you feel. It is impossible to scroll through images on Instagram without seeing something that even slightly lowers your self-esteem for a moment. Instagram is filled with celebrities posting pictures of their glamorous lives and models with perfect bodies posting pictures in bikinis. We should not be comparing ourselves to these illustrious women because it is their job to look that thin. They have personal trainers and nutritionists who make sure that they work every day to obtain a certain look. The media is even affecting models and celebrities by making them feel as if they won't be in the spotlight any more if they don't maintain a fixed look and body type. These women are whom are generation seem to focus on and look up to but the pictures that we see of them every day are nearly impossible to live up to. 

Some of these images are photo shopped, but a lot of these models are actually that thin which makes it even harder not to think, 'why am I not that skinny? What do I have to do to get a body like that?' What we see in the media raises questions like these in every girl's brain and we begin to feel bad about ourselves. Our self-esteem is lowered and sometimes people do drastic things to try and be as thin as that one model we saw in that one picture on social media this morning. It's clearly not the norm to be that thin, but since the media is showing us all these girls who are that thin, we begin to doubt ourselves and think that we are the ones who are not normal, not them.

I personally struggle with these reoccurring questions in my head as I scroll through my Instagram. Although, I have never let the negative influence of the media affect me further than just feeling momentarily bad about my body and myself. I have found a way to turn this low self-esteem into motivation and I believe that if other girls can do the same then this would be one way to start resolving this issue, without the media's help. Instead of continuing to sit around, scroll through my phone, and wish I looked like a Victoria's Secret model, I decided to make a lifestyle change. If the major media companies aren't taking huge steps to combat this problem, it is a change we can begin to make on our own in the meantime. It is up to us to decide how we look at these images and what to take from them. Don't let the media tell you how to live your life: "You may not be able to escape the media's reach, but you don't have to live by its rules" (Berninger). There isn't a realistic way to completely escape from the media and avoid it altogether so your reaction to the images in the media is up to you. It's important to have a healthy mindset and lifestyle so that you're confident and comfortable in your own skin. If the media isn't making any substantial changes to promote a healthier body image, then we need to make our own changes. 

Although the media in America hasn't quite recognized the severity of this issue and how much their images are negatively affecting teenage girls, some countries are beginning to take action. France has just recently passed a law to ban modeling agencies from using super skinny models. Fashion agencies are not allowed to hire women who have a BMI under 18, which is considered weighing about 121 pounds at 5'7" (Stampler). Body Mass Index, BMI, is a measure of your body fat calculated from a weight to height ratio. This new bill requires models to present a medical certificate that states they have a healthy BMI, which the government believes to be 18.

If more countries and agencies were able to get on board with this and take a stand, then girls would stop feeling as if they aren't skinny enough. This law is a step towards stopping the unrealistic ideals of thinness in the media and preventing eating disorders. Some people are protesting this bill saying, "Thinness does not always connote disease" (Stampler). Of course thinness is not the only cause of eating disorders but the portrayal of thinness in the media is certainly a factor. If modeling agencies did not hire extremely thin girls, we wouldn't be exposed to these unattainable body types. 

The media is causing teenage girls to have a negative body image through the unrealistic body type and beauty standards it presents to the public, which lead to lower self-esteem and eating disorders in young women. While we wait for the media as a whole to realize the negative effect that they have on teenage girls and make a change, we can try to change our own mindsets and not let the media have such a strong pull over us. Although, this is only a temporary solution and it is definitely easier said than done for the majority of teenage girls who are exposed to social media every day. Ultimately, the media needs to get on board with this problem and realize the consequences. Teenage girls are surrounded by the media every day in today's society, whether it is through the television or on social media, it is practically unavoidable. They see images of extremely thin and beautiful women who appear to live such glamorous lives and their mind leads them to believe they need to be that skinny in order to be happy. The media causes a negative body image because girls see these images in the media and feel that they aren't good enough. They constantly compare their own appearance to what they see in the media and are unable to recognize how unrealistic and unattainable these standards actually are. Implementing a law that forced companies to clearly state when an image they are using has been Photoshopped would be solution to this problem. If other countries followed in France's footsteps and banned agencies from using unhealthy and underweight models, that would be another resolution. Media influence and technology is only growing in today's society so this issue will only heighten and begin at even younger ages than before if it is not combatted soon. 

