Introduction
The concept of women’s beauty has attracted the attention of many scholars over the past several decades. Different factors have been used to define the beauty of women at different times in history. Kim and Lee explain that in the past, fat women were considered more beautiful than slim ones (10). The beauty of a woman at that time was based on her curvature. However, that has changed significantly over the recent past. The beauty of a woman is currently determined by how slim and physically fit one is, and fatness has become a factor that defines less desirable women. The media has been used to propagate the idea that slim women are more attractive.
In beauty contests, women are offered the opportunity to demonstrate how flexible and physically fit their bodies are when they catwalk. Mills et al. believe that mass media, especially televisions and magazines, entrenched the belief that the beauty of a woman is defined by her weight (147). Social media has also promoted the same idea, which explains why young women are currently keen on ensuring that they maintain a physically fit body, free from excess fat. In this paper, the researcher seeks to investigate the effect of media on women’s beauty. The following is the primary research question for this project:
Literature Review
The beauty of a woman is an issue that has attracted the attention of many scholars for the past several years. The researcher considered it appropriate to review what other scholars have written about this issue. According to Fardouly et al., although the adage that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder has remained relevant even to this day, globalization is shaping the way people view things in modern society (1390).
Western culture has had a massive impact on the way people determine what is beautiful and what is not. Countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America now define beauty based on concepts promoted by western media, especially those in North America and Europe. As such, the beauty of a woman in the global society is currently defined by how slim and physically fit they are as opposed to being fat, which was a major factor in defining beautiful women in the past.
Idealized Media Image on Female Body
According to Kim and Lee, in a diversified global society, people have personal preferences when it comes to defining the beauty of a woman (10). Some people still cherish fat women others prefer those of medium weight, while others consider those who are slim to be most attractive. However, popular media does not allow people to have a choice when it comes to defining women’s beauty (Adjin-Tettey 28).
They propagate what they believe to be the true definition of beauty, and over the past half-century, slim women have largely been viewed as being more beautiful than their fat counterparts. The problem, in this case, is that media easily influence people. Men want to be seen with women that society perceives to be beautiful. If the media promotes the idea that slim women are more beautiful, then they are willing to change their personal preferences and embrace popular belief. On the other hand, women want to be accepted in society. One of the ways of gaining such acceptance is to be beautiful. Mills et al. note that they want to be admirable, and they all rely on media to know what is expected of them to be beautiful (149).
Television shows have been massively used to promote the ideal image of a beautiful person. In most movies and television series, beautiful women are presented as young slim, and physically fit people. On the other hand, fat women are always presented as ugly villains keen on destroying the future of beautiful princesses. Such notions have been embraced by the global society. In beauty contests, which are often promoted in television shows and magazines, fat women do not stand a chance.
The beauty pageants are slim women who are keen on maintaining a specific body shape that society has come to believe is admirable. As such, the traditional media has successfully entrenched a specific perception of a woman’s beauty based on body weight (Walker et al. 3). Changing this perception may not be easy.
The New Media and Women Beauty
The new media has also become a major tool that defines women’s beauty in modern society. Facebook has over 2.45 billion regular users around the world (Walker et al. 4). Some studies show that young adults are so addicted to Facebook that they spend most of their time at this site, even when they are expected to be engaging in meaningful activities. YouTube is another popular video-sharing platform that has gained massive popularity. Other platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram have also gained a massive following over the recent past. These platforms have become powerful in influencing the perception of young adults in modern society.
According to Fardouly et al., social media has been promoting the same message as what the mass media started when it comes to women’s beauty (1391). It is apparent that there is a consensus about women’s beauty in terms of body weight, and these platforms are entrenching the idea. Many youths use Facebook and Instagram to share their progress in achieving or maintaining slim bodies. On these platforms, fat women are openly mocked and reminded to go to the gym. On the other hand, slims women are praised and get thousands of likes. The acceptance that people desire in social media is gained based on how an individual looks. Walker et al. note that many fat women are often shy of sharing their pictures online because they feel less attractive (5).
Methodology
In this study, it was important to collect reliable data from various sources to inform the finding and conclusion. According to Kim and Lee, the credibility of a report is largely defined by the sources of information used and the method applied to analyze it (10). The concept of woman beauty has attracted the attention of women for the past several years. As such, plenty of published materials that address this issue exist.
As such, the researcher relied on these sources to inform the study. It was desirable to collect data from primary sources to understand the current trends in this issue. However, the time available for the study was too short to allow for primary data collection. The processes of sampling participants, contacting them, observing the ethical requirements such as getting the necessary permissions, collecting, and analyzing it are time-consuming. As such, data was strictly collected from secondary sources.
When data has been collected from specific sources, the next step is to analyze it in a way that addresses the specific research question. In this case, it was necessary to explain the effect that the media has on women’s beauty. The nature of the research goal meant that it was necessary to use qualitative methods to respond to the issue under investigation. Qualitative analysis often uses open-ended questions to facilitate a detailed explanation of the research question.
Theoretical Framework
It is necessary to review theoretical models relevant to the issue under investigation. Social comparison theory developed by Festinger provides an understanding of how media, especially modern-day social media platforms, have influenced women’s beauty. According to Adjin-Tettey, this theory holds that people often evaluate themselves by a direct comparison of themselves with others (31). About beauty, they want to be seen as more beautiful than others. The comparison can only be possible if there are specific requirements that one must fulfill. In this case, their focus is on body weight. The beauty of a woman is defined by how slim they are (Adjin-Tettey 32).
As explained in this theory, those who believe they are slimmer and physically fitter than the rest will feel more confident and are more likely to share their images on social media than those who feel that they still need to lose some weight. As Adjin-Tettey observes, this theory explains that there are always downward and upward comparisons (32). Upward comparison is a situation where people compare themselves with those they believe are better at something they desire.
They intend to achieve what these other people have already achieved. As such, there is a downward comparison, where one compares self with those they believe are worse off than they are at achieving a specific goal. Such individuals often get a sense of satisfaction from such a comparison because they end up giving themselves some credit for what they have achieved.
Cultivation theory is another concept that can be used to explain the effect of media on women’s beauty. Developed by Larry Gross and George Gerbner, this theory focused on identifying the cultivated effects of mass media, especially the television, on its viewers (Adjin-Tettey 32).
Their findings show that television has a massive impact on the perception of people towards a given issue. Prolonged exposure to the television cultivates specific ideas on the audience. It explains why large companies are using the media to promote their products and brands. It helps to define the perception that a person has towards a given issue. The more these media platforms continue to glorify slim women over fat women the more viewers will continue to believe that beauty is defined by bodyweight.
Findings
The findings of this study show that media has a massive influence on the perception that people have towards women’s beauty. In the past, women’s beauty was closely associated with curvature. Mills et al. observe that a study of the folklore of different communities around the world shows how men valued fat women (151). The aim of every woman who wanted to be beautiful was to gain more weight. However, that changed as the media started glorifying thin women.
According to Walker et al., it is not clear how the perception changed, but some scholars argue that it was promoted by health concerns (4). As it emerged that being fat is associated with numerous medical conditions, there was a need to encourage women to gain weight.
The study shows that the beliefs that slim women are more attractive than those who are overweight was strengthened by the mass media. Television had a major role in convincing the global society that thin physically fit women appeared more attractive. They emerged as beauty pageants. They were the face of top brands in the global community. Magazines also helped to promote the same idea in their regular publications. Findings of the study show that social media platforms have been promoting the same concept over the recent past. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp have become platforms where people share with the world their beauty, and for women, body weight is still a major defining factor.
Analysis and Discussion
In modern society, beauty is no longer defined by an individual’s perception but by how society has come to believe. The strong desire many people have to be accepted, admired, and respect often make them compromise on personal values. As such, what the mass and social media have shaped as being desirable becomes acceptable to the masses. Fardouly et al. argue that women’s beauty is no longer based on an individual’s view (1388).
Society has created a situation where beauty is based on a woman’s body weight. In the past, thin women were often the subject of body shaming. They were associated with sickness and malnutrition. However, the exact opposite is true in modern society. Fat women are considered more susceptible to many diseases and some even consider them less hygienic.
The perception that society has towards women’s beauty has been influenced significantly by both mass and social media. Mills et al. note that media has become a powerful tool of entertainment, enlightenment, and a platform where people seek guidance whenever they are not certain about an issue (153). Many parents no longer have time to spend with their children and guide them on how to approach specific issues in society.
These children would turn to the media to guide their views on different things. They get to learn about women’s beauty and its significance through these media platforms. They also get to learn about factors defining a person’s beauty through social media. The information that they get from these platforms is that being slim and physically fit is sexy and epitomizes a women’s beauty. On the other hand, being fat is considered less desirable and something to be frowned upon, especially among women.
The two theories reviewed in this study show that media has a massive influence on the perception that people develop toward an issue. Women’s beauty is one of the most sensitive issues in modern society and media is playing a critical role in defining how people perceive it. Social comparison theory shows how people often compare themselves with others and the role that the media plays in defining such comparisons. Cultivation theory, on the other hand, explains how prolonged exposure to medial platforms defines a person’s perception of a given issue.
Conclusion
The findings of this study show that media has a massive impact on women’s beauty. For decades, there has been a deliberate attempt to portray slim and physically fit women as being sexier and more beautiful than fat women are. As such, everyone in society has come to embrace this idea. Men prefer being seen with slim women. Women, on the other hand, are doing everything they possibly can to remain thin as a way of being viewed as beautiful. As such, media has defined the overall perception of women’s beauty in the current society.
Works Cited
Adjin-Tettey, Theodora. “A Study Exploring the Influence of Media Consumption on Body Image and Beauty among Young Corporate Ghanaian Women in the Greater Accra Region.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 9, no, 2, 2015, pp. 28-41.
Fardouly, Jasmine, et al. “Instagram Use and Young Women’s Body Image Concerns and Self-Objectification: Testing Mediational Pathways.” New Media & Society, vol. 20, no. 4, 2018, 1380-1395.
Kim, Sunwoo, and Yuri Lee. “Why Do Women Want to Be Beautiful? A Qualitative Study Proposing a New Human Beauty Values Concept.” PLOS One, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1-21.
Mills, Jennifer, et al. “Beauty, Body Image, and the Media.” Perception of Beauty, vol. 4, no. 11, 2017, 146-154.
Walker, Candice, et al. “Effects of Social Media Use on Desire for Cosmetic Surgery among Young Women.” Current Psychology, vol. 2, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-8.