Self Esteem and the Media

There are two types of media. There can be good media, and there can be bad media. One might also refer to the media as positive or negative. This paper will introduce some negative affects found as a result of children imitating and idolizing the media and the celebrities that go along with it. There are also positive results that come from the media; the media is not all bad. This paper will just focus on the bad affects I have found. The media spends billions of dollars to create advertisements that appeal to our youth. While those companies are just looking to make money and promote their products; they are doing so much more. Today's world is becoming more aware of the problems arising from negative media.

The Media and Self-Esteem

Today's advertising portrays this envision of the perfect man or woman as either super skinny or overly muscular, so these advertisements are causing low self-esteem in children and teens. The media's advertising affects children and teens in many ways. Today's children are easily influenced by their peers including figures in the media. Advertising portrays people and objects in a way that is almost impossible for children and teens to separate from a selling tactic and real life.

Children and teens suffer in today's world from obesity, low self-esteem, and anorexia, to name a few. Most wonder if television or celebrities add to these disorders. On an average year children watch 10,000 fast food ads on television (Teen Health and the Media). This type of advertising effects children more than adults. Adults can distinguish the difference in truly wanting something or wanting the item due to seeing the ad. Studies presented that 14% of children are severely overweight (Teen Health and the Media).

The media affects children and teens in other ways besides weight. Television presents violence in a manner children are not used to and are not subjected to on a daily basis. The media sends mixed messages to children and teens. One minute the