Social Media's Poor Portrayal of Womens' Body Images Influence the Way the Younger Generation Convey Self Image, Leading to Health Risks in the Future

• The growth of social media and the vast amount of advertising is overwhelming society.
• Social media sites such as Facebook are making people more critical of their body images and overall self-esteem.
• Serious health risks are developing from the lack of nutritional teaching in schools.

In the rise of the 21^st century, social media has evolved in many different aspects. Not only has it become the most widely used medium for communication, it has also become the largest form of marketing. What started out as first as Internet relay chats and MySpace, has advanced to multi-media cross posting. Social media is where we, as users, create and share content while also constantly participating in social networking. With all of this technology surrounding society’s lives, it is beginning to manipulate our own values and altering our perceptions of body image.

A large aspect of everyday social media is advertising. What smarter way than posting a company’s latest advertisement on a site such as Facebook to market their product to the latest generation of people? When one searches the Internet on a daily basis, several advertisements pop up. Positive or negative, society is absorbed into their ad.

In fact, most of these types of advertisements may appear realistic to the human eye. When one looks at a Victoria Secret ad for the latest bikini set, or the latest protein shake for men, he or she is most likely viewing an unrealistic person. The body images of models in these sorts of advertisements are inaccurate.  This type of marketing promotes one specific body type; unaware of the health risks they may be stimulating.

Stereotypical Advertisements are Being Displayed all Over Social Media, Pursuing Society to Believe Certain Things

It is proven that advertisements have become completely stereotypical. Social media portrays women as tall and skinny, leaving out every other body type. Men are displayed as large, tall, and muscular. These body images are completely bias. Not only does this have a major effect on the youngest generation, but all people in general. From looking at these advertisements daily, one can easily become distraught if they do not look how like the model. Not only does this affect his or her mental attitude, but physical attitude as well. Ones confidence decreases when they believe that they cannot live up to a model’s appearances.

Not only are advertisements throughout social media swaying people to think a certain way, but also social media sites such as Facebook. With the freedom to post as many photos as one wants one Facebook, ones self-image is constantly recurring. This can cause relentless self-judgment. In this century, society has become much more critical of their body image. Not only do they compare themselves to others, but also other photos of themselves. “Good” pictures are instantly added on social media, while “bad” pictures added can be removed with a click of a button. A person can completely alter the way they look by picking and choosing what photos are shown to the public. With so much oppositions towards peoples’ appearances and they way one should or shouldn’t look, social media is manipulating society’s standards.

The Rise of Healthy Lifestyles May Be Evident, but it is Not Stopping Society From Danger

Jane Jakubczak, nutritionist at the University of Maryland, examines the new promotional advertising the health world has advocated. Many new types of “healthy” foods and exercise regimes are being introduced. People are searching for nutritionists and answers to get them on a healthy lifestyle. HIIT, the latest fast-paced exercise, has been proven to better ones health; so many are engaging in this workout routine.

While new diets and natural health remedies are thriving, many of them are falsely advertised. Not only that, much of society is having a hard time sticking to non-processed foods and bad fats. Society continues to go to restaurants and buy meals with dangerous products and substances. Consequently, society is still at danger for obesity. With so many overweight people, pressure to loose weight has heightened.

These Inaccurate Portrayals are Causing the Younger Generations to Develop Unhealthy Lifestyles and Put Themselves at Health Risks

Teenagers and young adults use social media constantly throughout the day. With so many photos and advertisements streaming, their minds are being bombarded with false accusations. Not only when a 16-year-old girl sees a Victoria’s Secret model wearing a t-strap bikini and not a ounce of fat on her, but also the immediate Instagram posts of friends on the beach can easily trigger her to feel a certain way. With so much misleading online marketing, many are becoming at risk, both physically and mentally.

Because there is so much pressure to look like the models portrayed on social media, many people, especially women, are developing serious health problems. What starts out small can eventually become a much bigger problem. When women witness such mal-nutritional women on an ad, they think they should be doing the same. This causes people to decrease her food intake, eliminating many necessary nutrients for one to stay active. It is also proven that once a person witnesses someone else in a more fit state than you, that person begins to exercise with more intensity and more frequently. While this may be a positive thing, without the correct nutrients, she is not truly getting the proper workout. This type of food restraint is leading to more serious problems. Disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are occurring too often in girls, according to Dr. Jakubczak. While causes of this can be situations in ones environment or genetics, much of this has to do with today’s excessive use of social media and what is being published daily.

Restrictions Must be Put Into Place Regarding Social Media, Along With Better Education Concerning Nutrition For Children

It is time for the Government to get involved in the social media world. Although we as Americans have the right to exercise our first amendment, guidelines must be put into place on what can and cannot be posted onto social media. Advertisements should have guidelines it must follow in order to accurately reflect the audience that is viewing it.

Additionally, Dr. Jakubczak suggests that schools should begin to educate children at a young age on the proper diet and nutrition. Not only children, but also parents must become more aware of what should and should not be served at the dinner table. If a child grows up with a healthy lifestyle, they will develop into a wholesome person and not have to worry about falling into a dangerous path. Overall, the rise of social media has had many positive and negative aspects to society. The inaccurate portrayal of body images are hurting society, and should be monitored.

Studies Show that the Government’s lack of Prior Restraint is What is Causing Society Outbreak and Leading People to Unlawful Decisions and Misinterpretations of Social Media

• The Internet carries a bias toward particular forms of politics, forcing the US Government to closely monitor what is being posted to prevent foreign conflict.
• Advertising of alcohol in certain areas is proven to persuade the younger generation into drinking at an adolescent age.
• Media sways college students to think a certain way about their own physical appearance. 

Recent debate has risen regarding the United State’s power to exercise prior restraint and block publication or broadcast of material that it feels might hurt national security interests. While most argue the right to exercise their first amendment of the Constitution, this course of action is what can ultimately stop some of the danger happening throughout social media today.

Despite all of the positive attributes social media has given society today, it has given too much freedom to society. A large bias has formed throughout the Internet, forming little divide between politics, technology, and materiality. This free flow of information is internationally putting the country in danger, however. Throughout, states have enacted Internet censorship policies in order to counteract the liberalization of their public’s sphere.

The Government Insists on Separating Advertising from Commercial Speech

Exposure to such social media has caused much of the bad influences on the younger generations. Media such as television, music videos, and blogs have explicitly shown hazardous actions such as taking drugs, sexual misconduct, and drinking alcohol. Children are not monitored regarding what is being watched and what is not, due to the Government’s lack of restraint.

Not only are teens influenced to start performing these unlawful acts at a young age by viewing these advertisements, it is also proven that they are socially affected by their response to them. As a young child, if one is exposed to this type of social media, their cognitive development can be altered. Consideration is also given to the style of alcohol advertisements and how they interact with children’s perceptions. Gender also plays a large role in how one perceives an advertisement, whether rationally or emotionally. Overall, alcohol advertising portrays drinking in its cultural context, resonating with the beliefs and expectations of its recipients.

Falsely Portrayed Media is Influencing College Students to Think Poorly About Themselves Physically, Leading to Health Risks

Studies have recently been shown that college students, especially women, are much more sensitive to appearance based rejection. Physically attractive people are less stigmatized by others and perceived as more likable. Not only that, they also have significant advantages in employment and job-related outcomes. This sort of bias swarming social media heightens vulnerability to mental and physical health risks. With little knowledge on how to truly get the nutrients one needs, college students are easily falling into dangerous health tracks. The average college student not only disregards breakfast on a daily basis, but almost goes all day without eating due to his or her busy schedule. If college students were better taught at a younger age how to sustain themselves nutritionally, eating distortions would not be an issue. Lack of nutrients not only makes a student tired, but also causes their memory and basic skills to fail. 

What the Government Can Do To Stop Social Media From Such Negative Influence

Although the Government cannot control what one decides to share on his or her Facebook wall on a daily basis, they can limit what is being advertised. The lack of Government prior restraint is causing much of media today to be falsely portrayed. Women are shown to be stick figure like, unhealthy, and mal-nutritional.  Although this may not be unlawful, the Government has to stop these types of biases regarding body images to prevent serious health risks from occurring.

The Government’s overall job is to use their power of prior restraint in a more beneficial way. Society’s freedom over social media is leading to harmful postings and influencing the population towards poor decisions. The Government should enforce the limitations of social media and create boundaries of what can, and cannot be posted. This way, society will still have the freedom to exercise their first amendment right to the Constitution without negatively affecting others.   

Social Media’s Inaccurate Portrayal of “Normal” Body Images is Falsely Advertising and Swaying Women Towards an Unhealthy Lifestyle

The first visual element is a photograph from an advertisement displaying a girl standing in the mirror naked. The viewer sees an extremely skinny girl looking into a reflection of a more overweight girl. This girl clearly has an eating disorder that cannot be controlled. As she constantly gets skinner, she will never be satisfied with the way she looks. The photo depicts emotion and conveys a primary and secondary element, with the light in the background of the photo.

The second visual element is data of several statistics about body image. The percentages and red colors stand out to the viewer’s eye, but the statistics must be read in order to comprehend what is being advertised. The statistics explain different scenarios of women in comparison to the viewing of social media. The data illustrates how it affects their everyday lives and how they feel about themselves not only mentally, but especially physically. The data is shocking and sends a message to society.

The third visual element is two advertisements combined. On the top is a Victoria’s Secret “Love My Body” Campaign displaying several women in only bras and underwear. The women vary in looks, but all seem to be outrageously skinny, “model-like”. On the bottom half of the visual is a Dove “Real Beauty” Campaign, where several women stand close to one another in bras and underwear as well. These women are all different looking and their bodies vary in all shapes and sizes. This combined

photograph depicts the differences in social media and speaks to society. The top photo does not accurately convey how women should look in today’s society. The bottom image expresses to women that they should be able to love the body that they have, no matter the shape or size. This advertisement is the most explanatory of the three because it sends a message to the public about the harms of social media and its poor demonstration of body images.