Topic > "“Perfect” Body Image Stereotypes in Society

Body image refers to an individual's misperception of their current body size and may involve simulation or illusionism, i.e., perceiving one's body size as small or bigger than it objectively is A negative body image is formed when people compare themselves to others because they are exposed to countless media images, photographs become the basis for some of these comparisons. People run the risk of developing harmful attitudes towards their figure also based on eating disorders, fueling a serious lack of dissatisfaction and anxiety. Say No to Plagiarism Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay We live in an era where obsession with our bodies has become daily. The female form has been idealized since the beginning of human existence. It is a continuous struggle that women must face on a daily basis. Yet about five hundred years have passed since the ideal body has changed drastically, it is difficult to predict something that has revolutionized numerous times, generation after generation, based on what civilization's judgment of "beauty" is. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the “ideal” woman was represented as a bony, curvy woman. Yet in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries came the corset; waist cincher, helped accentuate the body like an hourglass by supporting a woman's waist and supporting her breasts. However, women should not feel obligated to rebuild their bodies and separate themselves from others who they deem thinner or fitter. One's body is what makes us as a society who we are. Every single person is unique due to individual physical characteristics. Even if everyone has an opinion about their perfect body, changing one's personal characteristics would take away individuality and every single person would look the same and not be distinguished from the other. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In the eyes of society, women like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian are the prototype of perfection. What girl doesn't want to be like them? The media is becoming an increasingly dominant part of our daily lives and has proven to be incredibly influential. Since the idea of ​​smartphones and tablets was born, social networks have become increasingly popular such as Twitter and Instagram, where trillions of people can join and build their own personal account while staying in touch with each other. You might think that social media is just that, but in reality the purpose of the media has started to become the exact opposite of its proposition. Social media platforms have become extremely harmful – not personally and physically but deliberately emotionally and mentally – as they are capable of exploiting virtually anyone to force them to achieve their ideal of a flawless body image. Furthermore, with the ability to use the technology, shape and form the physical characteristics of any human body at heights that are impossible to reach. Countless hours on television are devoted to advertising that seeks to convince the average American to purchase a product that will result in diet, beauty, and greater popularity among his or her peers. The media rarely presents the average body type of a woman to viewers with a positive message, but goes as far as judging those who are overweight or "ugly" as a stereotype of people. Something as simple as flipping through any women's magazine will show you artificial bodies that have been heavily Photoshopped and you'll see.