Teenage Girls and the Media

Teen Girls and Media

Because of its pervasiveness, mass media such as magazines and television programs are increasingly in a position to influence the behavior and attitudes of teenage girls. In fact, television programs such as ER and sports-oriented teen magazines have been lauded for providing girls with positive role models.

Unfortunately, these programs and magazines remain the exception rather than the rule. Rather than promote healthy lifestyles or give positive role models, much of the media targeted to teens are both physically and psychologically harmful. This paper examines two of these main effects - the promotion of unhealthy habits and lifestyles and the growing tendency of these media to sexualize teens and turn them into consumers.

Unhealthy habits

For noted feminist Germaine Greer, the popularity of television shows such as Baywatch represent a growing pandemic, where all women are expected to conform to an unrealistic body shape. Greer terms this pandemic as "body dysmorphic disorder," one that is tied to an unnatural female shape that is achieved through starvation diets, depilatories and surgery (Greer 65-67).

This need to conform to unrealistic body standards infects girls at a progressively earlier age. A recent study of 12,000 children between the ages of 9 and 14 show that media's influence on girls' dieting and weight concerns equaled the influence exerted by parents and peers ("Weight concerns in preteens and young teens influenced by media..."). This represents a change from just a decade ago, when parents and peers were the biggest socialization factors in an adolescent's life.

This ability to influence teens is disturbing, mainly because most media choose to present a homogenous standard of beauty. Most magazines geared to teenage girls, for example, feature thin models with long shapely legs. Studies have shown that exposure to these ultra-thin images often results in a negative body image among young girls. This negative body image in turn makes girls more susceptible to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia (Goode).

A separate study conducted by researchers from Harvard University confirms these findings. In a survey of 543 girls, the researchers found the 69% reported that magazine photos influenced their idea of the ideal body shape. Furthermore, even though only 29% of these girls were actually overweight, two-thirds were on a diet to shed pounds ("Magazines, TV linked to teens', girls' dissatisfaction...").

In many cases, these diets can adversely affect a girl's health. Even young girls go on liquid diets, endangering their growth and development (Gardner 1998). Statistics show that as much as 80% of teen girls who are of normal height and weight still want to look thinner. Critics cite the media portrayals of teen idols such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera as one of the main factors behind this drive to be thin at all costs (Smith).

Health experts also warn that this "cult of thinness" also harms young women indirectly. Those who have negative body images and low self-esteem are more likely to engage in smoking, unprotected sex and other risky behavior (Manning).

While thinness is currently promoted as beautiful and glamorous, few magazines mention the significant health risks of being too skinny - such as osteoporosis and reproductive health issues (Brumberg and Jackson).

In addition to the health concerns, many of the magazines tend to promote only one form of beauty. For example, Adeline, an Asian teen, believes that the most beautiful girls have blond hair and blue eyes. She thus feels self-conscious about her shorter height, expressing a desire to be "tall and perfect" (Walker). Because many of these supposedly ideal standards could not be achieved through diet or exercise, an increasing number of teens are opting for plastic surgery procedures like liposuction and breast implants. Many health experts warn that these procedures may have deleterious effects on bodies that are still developing (Gerhart).

In addition to health concerns, many of these teen magazines and programs also affect the behavior and attitudes of teenage girls. A third of teenagers said that they learn about sexual behavior through the media ("TV, Magazines are Teen's Manual for Sex..."). This has disturbing implications because many teen-oriented programs show sex as a normal part of teen relationships. Even pre-teen fashions such as bared midriffs, for example, contribute to the "sexualization" of young girls (McCaroll). The hidden message in articles regarding teen make-up and fashion is how to appear "sexier" (Gardner 1997)