Self-image is something most of us struggle with in at least one point in our lives. Every day we turn on our televisions, open our magazines and tune into the radio. The media is our go-to source for information and more. It seems as if lately we hear more on the national news about Khloe Kardashian's new hairdo, instead of things that actually matter and affect our communities.
The media has an overwhelming influence on society. It subconsciously entitles certain ways of life compared to others, and frankly, the media brainwashes the country we live in. We turn on our tv to only see the same type of person, with the same type of body. They are gorgeous, handsome, thin and famous. Heaven forbid a producer actually put one middle-aged, regular sized woman on our television screen.
The media ruins our self-image. It tears away at our individuality by constantly featuring the unreal. It thrives on institutionalized racism and sexism; and if we don't take the time to think about it, we really don't even notice. I'm not just talking about Hollywood productions. I'm talking about news channels, HGTV, TLC and more. Think about it, when do you turn on your tv to see more than a white family on a commercial, the mom in the kitchen and the dad in a suit coming home from work. The media ruins our self-image by limiting opportunity. They only highlight one type of person.
The matter of the fact is, women are still the damsel in distress. More than likely, if a female is the main character in a film, it will be included that she finds a man, or has a man already. Women are misrepresented in the media. They are portrayed as sex objects without empowerment. This is diminishing to self-empowerment in return and self-image. It is extremely hard to be something that one rarely sees; you can't be what you can't see.
Although men might have the upper hand in how much they are represented in the media, this surely doesn't mean they are represented correctly. The media has seemed to coin the phrase "Be a Man" as if every little boy should know this. In reality though, these simple three words can be so destructive. It limits to what men can actually be, and are. Men are represented without weakness, without tears, and the most devastating, without emotion.
If the media is limiting these aspects of humanity, how is anyone ever supposed to be comfortable in their own skin? People are so insecure because the only thing we see is so unreal and untouchable.
The thing is that hings haven't changed. It isn't because people haven't tried, or spoken out. It's because we accept this. We accept that the media alters our self image everyday. Although big changes in what we see will take effort and time, the least we can do now is call it out. Talk about it, and be aware. Don't fall into the trap of unreality that the media has created for America.The media is only representing a small portion of people. And it needs to stop, or else the consequences will continue to become more dire.
