Something To Think About...

     It is often said that women absorb what is displayed in the media in a deeper personal level. When women see a slim actress or model they get self conscious about their bodies. You would think that it's the media's fault for displaying such images and for stating what a women should look and act like but upon reading this article it broaden my perspective on this issue. While reading "Self-Esteem Is Something That Has To Come From Within" by Jessica Jenks, she states with great emphasis, "The media is not to be blamed for the self-esteem problems of females." She states her own anecdote; on how here self-esteem is shaped from her friends and family, but that just makes her first sentence get emphasized even more so.  She goes on about saying how "comparing your body to one that is not your is pointless." and how images displayed in the media can often be Photoshop to look a certain way. Jenks talks about how "people shouldn't be models if they cannot handle the rejection and constant criticism of their body." But through all the criticism she ends with, "The important thing is not how skinny you look, but how healthy you are." Jenks appeals to the younger audience in a loving motherly way by saying it is important to create a positive image in girls. Jenks ends the article by stating that even if the media showed "average" women it would not solve any body image issues. "Body image issues stem from a far deeper problem than seeing woman on TV who are extremely thin."
     
     I agree that media isn't the primary reason why women's self-conscious is so low, a point that needs emphasizing since so many still believe the only reason women are self-conscious is because of the portrayal of females in the media. Most feminist will probably tell you that the media is exploiting females into sex icons but I terrifying would disagree with them and the debate whether who is right or wrong will go on and on...At first glace, teenagers might say what they see in beauty is different what society is telling them, which result in disorders, depression, and their self-esteem to plummet to the ground. But on closer inspection teenagers are struggling to "fit in" because they themselves believe they do not fit in, are not worthy, or ask questions that are too philosophical for them to understand. Ultimately, what is at stake here is not who's fault it is on why women are so down in the dumps but what are the consequences? How can we resolve them? What can we do to change the statistical view of average women in the media? But above all self esteem does come from within you and only you can decide what is beneficial to you, what is the ideal perfection, and what you can or will become regardless of anyone's comments or misconceptions they place upon you.