From: Jessica L.
This picture says a lot about how media affects young girls. It shows how girls do all different types of things to be beautiful. They straighten their hair, put on make up and so much more because they learn from the Commercials that they watch that it is more desirable. They learn all of this from a very young age. From about the age of 3 to 4 they start to practice putting on make and blow drying their hair, because they see their mother do it or they have the fake makeup kit that they got for Christmas. When I was setting up this photo I already knew what I wanted to do, but I made sure that I used all the products of the young girls in my photo. When I asked her where she heard of these things she said she saw them on TV and asked her mother to get them for her and when I asked her why she wanted them she said "Because I am a girl and they make it easier to be pretty." She even quoted some of the lines they used on the commercials. They way that the media portrays these items has a huge affect on girls self esteem. From the things that the Commercials show and say like "Do you want more fuller desirable luscious lashes" or :Do your want smoother more beautiful hair" or "Do you want luxurious curls and waves?" has a major affect on young girls. Of course they are going to say yes because they see this beautiful women on the TV who uses the product. The media is so fast paced that there is no way for a young girl to keep up with it and will have affects on her self esteem. One day she sees commercials talking about how straight hair is what's beautiful and the next curly hair is what's beautiful. This will confuse that young girls and have a affect on how they think and feel about their self. And people wonder why so many young girls have low self esteem, maybe they should pay attention to the TV commercials.
4 comments:
I believe this picture shows how the media affects teenage girls on how they should look. It shows how hard girls work on their physical appearance to look a certain way to feel as though they fit in with society.
When girls watch television, they see commercials for all different types of beauty products. Girls see these commercials and feel like they aren’t pretty enough until they get these products. This photo shows all of the products girls think they need to use. Having the stuffed animal in the left corner shows that the girl is still young, but she shouldn’t have to worry about using all of these products.
Women see these products being used in magazines, commericials, and on television and see that this is what it takes to look beuatiful. Girls want to be like the beautiful stars they see on tv. They will do anything it takes in order to seek the approval of others. These products cover up these girls but make them feel better about themselves.
By first looking at this picture, I would have never thought "media influence," only conformity. I think the photo would have been a lot more convincing if their were a television reflecting in the mirror, showing some of the ads you were talking about while the girl was doing her makeup or hair in the same way the commercial was doing. Even for a more direct influence like you are explaining, she could have been doing those things sitting right in front of the television. You make a good point that the beauty standard is ever-changing, but I do not see that in the picture, unfortunately. This girl seems very confident in how she feels about herself, not confused by a continuum of beauty commercials that you explain. Going in a different direction, you could have explained how she found confidence in conformity and in an identity that is not her own, as directed by the media like many girls do.
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