Essay on How Magazines Affect Body Image

The Unhealthy Side of Magazine Advertising

Magazines and magazine advertisements have been around for as long as the world can remember. Depending on the company, different kinds of magazines are aimed toward a certain audience. Even though this may be evident, not every magazine can create a positive result and it can often become overwhelming for a select few. From showcasing a skinny model on the front cover to including a lingerie ad from Victoria’s Secret, magazine advertisements set unrealistic standards for teenage girls.

Besides sexualization, teenage magazine advertisements do the opposite of conveying an inspirational message. For the most part, they have a negative influence on teenage girls, by making them believe that if they do not look like a model on the front cover, then they are not “good enough.” Ultimately, teenage girls will want to change their physical attributes until they are satisfied with the way that they look. This mindset, of course, is dangerous to have and it often leads to tragic effects such as developing an eating disorder, depression, or plastic surgery. A survey done by Teen People Magazine suggests that 25% of the girls surveyed felt the media makes them feel pressure to have a perfectly shaped body. Additionally, 69% of girls concurred that models found in magazines had a major influence on their concept of what a perfect body shape should look like (Suggett par. 2). Similarly, other research shows that magazine advertisements have a greater impact than the ones that are on television because television ads encourage the greater consumption of high-fat foods. Magazine advertisements encourage girls to practice portion control and go on diets to make themselves thinner, which leads to girls developing eating disorders. Furthermore, Teen People Magazine suggests that “35 percent of U.S. girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that among normal-weight girls 50 percent to 70 percent consider themselves overweight” (Miller par. 2).

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According to “A Content Analysis of Seventeen Magazine and the Messages its Articles and Advertisements are Sending to Teenage Girls,” negative themes were prominent. “Seventeen is a fashion magazine, and therefore it encourages girls to make themselves as beautiful as possible to attract the guys” (Fuller 2). The overall research for this specific case study suggests that Seventeen Magazine sends a lot of “mixed messages” to teenage girls that are simply not realistic. In Joel Miller’s article, “Media and Body Image,” Only five percent of women in the US fit the current body type popularly portrayed in advertising today. Additionally, problems with eating disorders have increased by over 400% since 1970 (Miller par. 2).

From a psychological perspective, magazines can appeal to teenage girls because of the colors or the images that are strategically placed on the front cover. They might see these magazines on the shelves next to the register while they are waiting in line or at the doctor’s office. Its contents may be something along the lines of how to get rid of their pimples to have clear skin or how to get a date with their crush (Gibbons par. 4). Either way, they will want to open it and read more because they will not be able to resist. It is almost as if they are letting a magazine dictate what they do with their lives and what they can change. In the same manner, social endorsements of an ideal body shape, such as those found in print and media formats, have been related to body image disturbance as well as implicated in the development of eating disorders (Thompson and Dale 701).

Before the 20th century, magazines were more innocent and a lot less negative. In 'The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls,” by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, it is said that today’s society depicts the body as something that is most important when it comes to teenage girls, which makes them very different from what other girls were exposed to many years ago. Even though girls in the past may have felt self-conscious about their bodies, which is completely normal, they did not spend much time comparing themselves to others. “Today, many young girls worry about the contours of their bodies–especially shape, size, and muscle tone–because they believe the body is the ultimate expression of the self' (Gibbons par. 6).

Magazines have a lot to improve on in the messages that they give out to their audiences. Magazines should begin working towards developing inspirational messages for teenage girls and creating standards that are more realistic because women come in all different shapes and sizes. Changes will only be made possible if the public speaks up about it and nothing is going to be done if everyone just stays silent. People can start by pressuring brands and letting them know that they should change what they advertise. They can also educate those who are younger by teaching them that what is shown in advertisements is not the reality. Think about the future ahead, and if it is not a positive one then things must change.

Works Cited

1. Fuller, Cheryl. “A Content Analysis of Seventeen Magazine and the Messages its Articles and Advertisements are Sending to Teenage Girls,” Senior Research Projects, 2005. https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=senior_research. Accessed 2 Oct. 2019.
2. Gibbons, Sheila. “Teen Magazines Send Girls All the Wrong Messages.” Women’s E-News, 29 Oct. 2003. https://womensenews.org/2003/10/teen-magazines-send-girls-all-the-wrong-messages/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2019
3. Miller, Joel. “Media and Body Image.” AdMedia, 2019. https://admedia.com/media-and-body-image.php. Accessed 2 Oct. 2019
4. Suggett, Paul. “The Impact of Body Image Advertising: Advertisements and Self-Esteem.” The Balance Careers, 25 July. 2019. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-impact-of-advertising-on-body-image-4151839. Accessed 2 Oct. 2019
5. Thompson J. Kevin, and Dale L. Cusumano. “Body image and body shape ideals in magazines: exposure, awareness, and internalization,” (1997). Sex Roles, Vol. 37, Nos. 9/10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02936336. Accessed 2 Oct. 2019

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