UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS

Tuguegarao City

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, CRIMINOLOGY, ARTS AND PSYCHOLOGY

First Semester
A.Y. 2024-2025

PDEV 1013- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Reading Assignment
Date: September 30, 2024

The Influence of Media on the Adolescent's Understanding of Beauty

Genesis M. Javellana (2014) mentions that the media plays a large role in how
teenagers view themselves by shaping images or what teenagers are supposed to be or do.
Research findings revealed that:

Internet- is the most frequently used media with the respondents using it
often.

Magazines-have the strongest negative relationship with the weight of the

respondents.

Measures such as media awareness seminars and screening and

balancing or commercials and advertisements on television and
magazines are needed to balance the effects of media on adolescents.

Findings from further studies, showed that teenagers:

 imagine themselves being the actor/actress in a movie they have watched.

 copy an actor's/actress' clothes, hairstyle, and/or lines in the movie because it would
make them look cool or feel good.
 like a movie because the actor/s and or actress/ es clothes in that movie look
exceptionally good.
 immediately try any new product that they saw in a commercial.
 use the product endorsed by their favorite actor/actress.
 feel upset after seeing handsome/beautiful personalities on internet.
 spend more than nine hours in a week online, searching tips, advice and/or procedures
from the internet that would improve their outward appearance.
 edit their solo pictures to make them look better before posting them online.
 feel handsome/beautiful when their solo picture gets a lot of likes.
 follow a lot of beauty, fashion and/or fitness advice that they read from magazines.
 also feel unhappy about their weight after seeing a model from a magazine.
 The impact of Media on the Self-esteem of the Adolescent

In the concepts of physical changes in the body and identity

of the adolescent, Davies & Furnham found out that the average
teenager is sensitive to, and critical of, his/her physical self. Constant
exposure to cultural standards of beauty in evaluating own body
image (via media and social networks) may produce non-normative
shift in the form of dieting practices which may lead to eating
disorders as a result of body image dissatisfaction, the feeling of
discrepancy between actual and ideal body image.

Researchers have found body image dissatisfaction to be a strong predictor of

depression, exercise dependence, eating disorders and steroid use among young people in the
US (Stice and Withenton, 2002).

Boys body image is generally more positive than girls, and boys are much more likely to
welcome weight gain. Simmons and Blyth's "Cultural ldeal Hypothesis" indicate that
puberty brings boys closer to their ideal body while girls shift further from theirs. A
Cultural ideal is that male bodies be big and strong while ideal female bodies in Western
(and Asian) culture is slim.

The Cultural Ideal Hypothesis predicts that since the cultural ideal for the female body
is being slim, adolescent girls should more likely to express body dissatisfaction and
resort to dieting.

Caufmann and Steinberg say that girls in western cultures are more concerned about
appearance and express more worry and concern about how other people respond to
them than in other cultures. If body shape is far from dominant cultural ideal of slimness,
teens are more likely to develop low self-esteem and negative body image.

Strikingly, today, girls exposed to images of Barbie dolls reported lower body esteem
and a greater desire for a thinner body shape. Clearly, the body-image expectations of
pre-teens can be distorted with their ‘If Barbie and Ken Were Real’ thinking. Barbie's
neck would be too long and thin to support the weight of her head, and her upper body
proportions would make it difficult for her to walk upright. In Ken's case, his huge barrel
chest and enormously thick neck would nearly preclude him from wearing a shirt. Ken
would be 7 feet 2 inches tall while Barbie would be 5 feet 2 inches. (Brownell and
Napolitano, 1995).

Certainly, the exposure to the thin-ideal media image on women posed a great impact
on their self-esteem. It increased body dissatisfaction, negative mood states, and eating
disorder symptoms and decreased self-esteem. "Exposure to thin-ideal media images may
contribute to the development of eating disorders by causing body dissatisfaction, negative
moods, low self-esteem, and eating disorders symptoms among women" (Hawkins, et. al.,
2010). Miller also speaks of the disturbing problem of very young girls dieting and having
negative thoughts about their body.
 Who's to blame for our body perceptions, be it good or bad?

Society gives us a number of reference points that shape our perceptions whether
positive or negative. When it comes to our bodies there are a number of sources that affect us
more than the others.

The Media

The images of perfection we see in print, film, and television projects an unrealistic
version of reality that we are continually told is attainable - if we work out, eat less, and lather
our bodies in transformative, firming and tightening creams.

The media are powerful tools that reinforces cultural beliefs and values, and while they
may not be fully responsible for determining the standards for physical attractiveness, they
make escaping the barrage of images and attitudes almost impossible.

Prejudice – Size

Intolerance of body diversity has a lot to do with prejudice of size and shape in our
culture. Being thin, toned, and muscular has become associated with the hard-working,
successful, popular, beautiful, strong, and the disciplined. Being fat is associated with lazy,
ugly, weak, and lacking in will-power.

With this prejudice, fat is not a description like tall or redhead - it's an indication of
moral character and we are conditioned to think that fat is bad.

Those closest to us - family and friends

We learn from other people, particularly those closest to us about the things that are
considered important. Friendships are particularly important in body image development
because we place high value in them, spends lots of time with our friends and develop shared
experiences, values, and beliefs.

Classrooms, university dorms, and common rooms are often filled with negative body
talk: "I wish I had her stomach" "I hate my thighs," "I feel fat." Listening to this tends to
reinforce the need to focus on appearance and make comparisons between us and other
people's bodies.

But the impact of media and society in general, are not all bad.

As with most things, with the bad comes the potential for good. If not for this awakening,
we would not have initiatives like Live Life, Get Active; where awakening ourselves to a
healthy and fulfilled life is at the core of what we do.

Live Life Get Active is a social initiative built to create a fitter, healthier, and happier
lifestyle. We approach health and well-being from a fun and socially engaging perspective and
the importance we put on a healthy lifestyle. People nowadays exposed themselves to biking,
yoga, Zumba, sports and other wellness activities.

Self-esteem and its Significance

Self-esteem, sometimes referred to as self-worth or self-respect, is an important part of

success.

Too little self-esteem can leave people feeling

defeated or depressed. It can also lead people to
make bad choices, fall into destructive
relationships, or fail to live up to their full potential.

Too much self-esteem, however, as exhibited in

narcissistic personality disorder, can certainly be
irritating to others and can even damage personal
relationships". (Kendra Cherry)

The Concept of Self-esteem

Self-esteem levels at the extreme high and low ends of the spectrum can be harmful, so
ideally, it's best to strike a balance somewhere in the middle. A realistic yet positive view of
yourself is generally considered the ideal. But what exactly is self-esteem? Where does it come
from and what influence does it really have on our lives?

In Psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-
worth or personal value. In other words, it is how much you appreciate and like yourself. Self-
esteem is often seen as a personality trait which tends to be stable and enduring. Self-esteem
can involve a variety of beliefs about yourself, such as the appraisal of your own appearance,
beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.

Why is Self-esteem important?

Self-esteem can play a significant role in one’s motivation and success throughout life.
Low self-esteem may hold you back from succeeding at school or work because you don't
believe yourself to be capable of success. By contrast, having a healthy self-esteem can help
you achieve because you navigate life with a positive, assertive attitude and believe you can
accomplish your goals.

Maslow suggested that people need both esteem from other people as
well as inner self-respect. Both of these needs must be fulfilled in order for an
individual to grow as a person and achieve self-actualization. Self-esteem is
one of the basic human motivations.
 Those who consistently receive overly critical or negative assessments from caregivers,
family members, and friends, for example, will likely experience problems with low self-esteem.
Additionally, your inner thinking, age, any potential illnesses, disabilities, or physical limitations,
and your job can affect your self-esteem.

“Possessing little self-regard can lead people to become depressed, to fall short of their
potential, or to tolerate abusive situations and relationships. Too much self-love, on the other
hand, results in an irritating sense of entitlement and an inability to learn from failures. It can
also be a sign of clinical narcissism which is a personality disorder.”

So how can we build a strong, positive body image?

Positive body image involves understanding that healthy attractive bodies come in many
shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about our character or value as
a person. How we get to this point of acceptance often depends on our individual development
and self-acceptance. To get too that all important point of balance, there are a few steps we can
take:

a. Talk back to the media and speak our dissatisfaction with the focus on appearance;
b. De-emphasize numbers as pounds, kilograms or inches, feet and meters on the scale;
they don't tell us anything meaningful about the body as a whole or our health;
c. Stop comparing ourselves with others and remember that each one is unique;
d. We need to appreciate and enjoy our bodies in the uniqueness of what we have;
e. Spend time with people who have a healthy relationship with food, activity, and their
bodies;
f. Question the degree to which self-esteem depends on our appearance because
basing our happiness on how we look is likely to lead us to failure and frustration, and
may therefore prevent us from finding true happiness;
g. Broaden our perspective about health and beauty by reading about body image
cultural variances, or media influence and check out a local art gallery paying
particular attention to fine art collections that show a variety of body types throughout
the ages and in different cultures;
h. Recognize that size prejudice is a form of discrimination, as shape and size are not
indicators of character, morality, intelligence, or success;
i. Approach health and well-being from a firm and socially engaging perspective; and put
importance on a healthy lifestyle and;
j. Keep in mind that the body, in whatever shape or size, is good and sacred, having
been created in the image and likeness of God. Such body deserves love and respect.

We will have a positive body image when we have a realistic perception of our bodies,
when we enjoy, accept and celebrate who or what and how we are, and let go of negative
societal or media perpetuated conditioning.

IT PAYS TO READ!
 Clothing and Self-Image
By: Jill L Ferguson

Your style and the clothes you choose reflect and affect your mood, health, and overall
confidence. Scientists call this phenomenon "enclothed cognition.” Adam Hajo and Adam D.
Galinsky, both professors at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University wrote
in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology that enclothed cognition "involves the co-
occurrence of two independent factors the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical
experience of wearing them.”
It was further asserted that when we put on a piece of clothing we cannot help but adopt
some of the characteristics associated with it unconsciously. The Business Insider says that
clothes don't just affect your confidence level, they can affect your success, as clothing
significantly influences how others perceive you and how they respond to you.
Understanding the psychological dynamics of why the right-for-us clothing can contribute to
our confidence, raise our self-esteem, and help propel us in the workplace has become big
business. So the next time you reach for those yoga pants or for that fiery red dress, ask yourself
how will that clothing item make you feel and what is it saying to the world around you today?

REFERENCES:

Books:

Ariola, M. (2018), Understanding the Self, Unlimited Books Library Services, Manila, PH

Corpuz, R., Estoque, R. and Tabotabo, C. (2019), Understanding the Self, C & E Publishing Inc,
Quezon City, PH

Villafuerte, S et.al (2018), Understanding the Self,Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd. Quezon
City, PH