Pop Culture and Body Image
Pop Culture has set a precedent on teen girls with the help of media. In schools the trends follow what is new in the world of Pop Culture. From fashionable styles, to makeup and accessories, with one distinct objective, that of the thin women sporting the attire. The images portrayed are unrealistic, as the stick women are not healthy individuals. Take into account that film / television adds 10 pounds, yet you can identify the ribs of the women beneath the clothes they are wearing. Imagine how skinny they truly are. Still and all, teenage girls are smitten with “thin is in” and pull out all of the stops to be popular and accepted.
Many become victims of the disorders of Anorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia. 1 The media is also affecting elementary school aged girls, as they take in commercials, and television shows for teens that don apparel that is revealing. Those same styles are available and very much desired resulting in elementary school aged girls going on diets to wear such clothing. Pop Culture is all about being in the know, and being popular. Teenage girls grow into adult women still affected by bad body image, and low self esteem. They feel like misfits, and hate their bodies.
They become caught in a cycle of dieting to the extreme, until diagnosed with an eating disorder. Many die, due to lack of proper nutrition, or suffer “several other permanent problems” 2 Teenage girls disappointed with their bodies also elect for cosmetic surgery. This is a fast way to get the results they desire. They get breast augmentations, and liposuction. Recent studies have shown that the problem is getting worse, and many teenaged girls are obsessed with having the perfect body they see on television, and pressures are mounting to fit in.
It is shocking to think that young women, who have not reached legal age, are seeking to have breast augmentation, or have suffered debilitating health as a result of keeping up with Pop Culture. The trend has parents worrying that clothing lines, such as Gap, are making teen girls clothes more revealing, and it is causing them to “lose their childhood” 3 Works Cited 1. Emily Young: Pop culture setting unrealistic standards for young women. http://www. frankwbaker. com/pop_culture_body_image. May 23, 2010. 2. ibid 3. ibid
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