Article: Half of secondary school girls considering cosmetic surgery

The_Conductor

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6900116.ece

I was startled to read this article during the week- it indicates that in the UK over half of all school girls are actively considering plastic surgery.

Have we really gotten to the stage where being 'unaltered' is somehow deviant, and people do not feel happy with themselves unless they have corrected their perceived flaws with cosmetic procedures?

Why do young girls feel the necessity to 'enhance' themselves in this way?

minidazzler

Because the Media tells them to be insecure, that they are not perfect and they need all sorts done to be perfect.

Which is Bull IMO. A Natural girl is my thing.

shellyboo

Because they're absolutely surrounded by pressure on all sides, from peers, from the media, from their parents in some cases, to be thin and perfect. Add to that the increased publicity of cosmetic procedures, their increased availability and visibility in the public sphere, and their status as a quick fix, almost... it's the obvious option for most young girls.

For a child, who doesn't genuinely understand the cost or repercussions of such a surgery, it would be the obvious choice to "fix" their perceived problems - I'd say the prevalance of that opinion will go down as the same girls get older, tbh.

The fact that young girls aren't getting any self-esteem education in school or at home is a large part of it. We need to start to address this to combat the increase in other factors that are making girls hate their bodies from a young age.

JackieT

To be honest, I think there's a gulf between what a woman & a heterosexual man would percieve as attractive (in a woman). Your average fashion model is simply not very attractive for your average male.

I dont know what the solution is though, except for mandating that only heterosexual males should be allowed to select models for the fashion industry

Buceph

JackieT wrote: »

To be honest, I think there's a gulf between what a woman & a heterosexual man would percieve as attractive (in a woman). Your average fashion model is simply not very attractive for your average male.

A survey that was published a few months ago claimed that most men were happy with their girlfriend's body. And men's ideal was a bigger woman than what women viewed themselves. It obviously has flaws, especially when there's about 20 different diet plans linked to on the side, but it's interesting none the less.

http://www.fabulousmag.co.uk/diets/diet_body_survey_issue_025.php

shellyboo

But for teenage girls, they're not worried about what boys find attractive, they're worried about fitting in with other girls, being beautiful, being *perfect*. It's not one bit about boys being attracted to them at that age - because boys are attracted to everything at that age!

They see these images and they just think "I'm supposed to look like that". There's no reason behind it, they don't have a motive... they just know that *this* is good and *not this* is bad.

candy-gal1

**nods head in agreement**

tis really true, I mean you can be as confident as anything and very proud of your body as is, which I am lol, but Its the weak moments that some people have, especially younger age groups when you see a model in a magazine you like or someone makes a remark in school that makes people become obsessed and ultimitly ill from striving for perfection! I think if your healthy, feel good in yourself, and like how you look in the mirror then your all set! if you dont love yourself first, how can you ever expect to be able to really love someone else?!

which would you pick?



or

shellyboo

Everyone you picked has had plastic surgery bar Keira Knightley! In fact, of all the pics you posted, I'd choose her as the best role model, simply because she is a true example of embracing your body - she is naturally extremely thin, she has boyish figure and she works it. She hasn't gone and gotten implants to fit in, and she defends her natural body shape in the media.

JackieT

shellyboo wrote: »

But for teenage girls, they're not worried about what boys find attractive, they're worried about fitting in with other girls, being beautiful, being *perfect*. It's not one bit about boys being attracted to them at that age - because boys are attracted to everything at that age!

They see these images and they just think "I'm supposed to look like that". There's no reason behind it, they don't have a motive... they just know that *this* is good and *not this* is bad.

I wouldnt say that boys are attracted to /everything/, if my memory serves correctly (i#m getting kinda old now, so that's not a given), I had the hots for no more than 50% of the girls in my class as a kid. Maybe i was just very choosy.

I'm not sure what to say, the beauty ideal which is portrayed to young girls is kind of daft. Perhaps we should start handing out editions of Playboy to school kids, so they would know how an attractive women would look like. those girly + fashion mags they read don't really seem to help things.

( i haven't bought playboy since the 80's so I have no idea if that mag still has good looking ones in it, but at least it used to)

shellyboo

JackieT wrote: »

I wouldnt say that boys are attracted to /everything/, if my memory serves correctly (i#m getting kinda old now, so that's not a given), I had the hots for no more than 50% of the girls in my class as a kid. Maybe i was just very choosy.

Oh I know... but I think when you're that age, boys are portrayed as these hormone-fuelled, girl-crazed beasts, only after one thing, etc. Making yourself attractive to them is not really a priority, because the fact that you're female is your major selling point :P

Anyway, that's secondary to the fact that the overwhelming pressure at that age is to fit in with other girls. That's very heavy pressure, too.

JackieT wrote: »

I'm not sure what to say, the beauty ideal which is portrayed to young girls is kind of daft. Perhaps we should start handing out editions of Playboy to school kids, so they would know how an attractive women would look like. those girly + fashion mags they read don't really seem to help things.

( i haven't bought playboy since the 80's so I have no idea if that mag still has good looking ones in it, but at least it used to)

Um... please be joking? Looking at uber-slim fashion models may not be healthy, but if we're talking about preventing plastic surgery, looking at large-breasted, tanned, made-up to the hilt models isn't going to help either. A large proportion of the women in those magazines have already HAD plastic surgery. The aim here is to get young girls to accept their bodies the way they are now, giving them a new ideal - and one that's no healthier - is not the way to go.

Lia_lia

Really? I don't believe that statistic. I'm pretty certain none of my friends in school would even dream of getting plastic surgery ever. I just can't really understand the whole body obsession thing anyway to be honest. Silly media.

brianthebard

Fluff study imo. What does 'actively considering' even mean? I skimmed the article and didn't see any explanation. It could mean that they had gone for a consultation, or it could mean they just looked at a list of survey questions and said, yeah I might like X done and then didn't think about it again.
As for this 'teh meeja controls our every thought!' stuff, I just don't believe it. Sorry but while I can see it has a role in people's lives, I don't believe all this stuff about media pressure, pictures, models, etc, etc.

jam_mac_jam

shellyboo wrote: »

Everyone you picked has had plastic surgery bar Keira Knightley! In fact, of all the pics you posted, I'd choose her as the best role model, simply because she is a true example of embracing your body - she is naturally extremely thin, she has boyish figure and she works it. She hasn't gone and gotten implants to fit in, and she defends her natural body shape in the media.

I am sorry, that is not a natural body shape, at all. The woman clearly has a problem, her bones are sticking out.

Macha

JackieT wrote: »

I'm not sure what to say, the beauty ideal which is portrayed to young girls is kind of daft. Perhaps we should start handing out editions of Playboy to school kids, so they would know how an attractive women would look like. those girly + fashion mags they read don't really seem to help things.

Or...we could just stop obsessing over women's bodies and what men do and don't find attractive.

brianthebard, you may not believe it but the evidence speaks for itself. The overly sexualised images of young girls and the narrow definitions of female beauty in our media have been proven to have negative effects on the mental health of young children, particularly their self esteem.

Buceph

shellyboo wrote: »

Oh I know... but I think when you're that age, boys are portrayed as these hormone-fuelled, girl-crazed beasts, only after one thing, etc.

And I think this portrayal is just as dangerous as how the women's magazines portray the perfect role models for girls. I know plenty of guys (a lot of nerds) who despise that idea of men and a small proportion of them have serious problems because of that image of men. Either they didn't live up to the macho, alpha male and were unhappy with themselves, or they didn't live up to the macho, alpha male stereotype and were bullied for it. When boys grow up watching films where all the men are portrayed as pussy-hounds what does that do for their development? Some will be happy enough to reject these ideas, be lucky enough that they're intelligent enough to realise that it's a media/societal construct that has no relation to how they feel or want to behave. For others there will be dejection as they realise they can't live up to these idolised forms, and who don't have the confidence, intelligence or emotional awareness to realise it's a dangerous stereotype.

Women (or girls) can be as guilty or as susceptible to these media/societal demands, either through viewing their own form and role, or what they should demand from a man. Chick flicks are horrendous, both in the way they classify how women should behave (oh they have to be rescued) or for showing what women should be looking for from a man.

Some films have been aping some stereotypes (the recent increase in Seth Rogens, and nerd chic.) But again they portray men as desperate. What's also terrible is they create unfair demands on how people are expected to behave when not obsessing over looks. How often does someone who lacks confidence or is a bit of nerd overcome all this and by the end of the film is spitting out one liners and quips? Some people are naturally funny, but to expect for anyone to be able to come up with this kind of banter when it takes multiple re-writes of a script and multiple takes in the filming is absolutely ridiculous.

Maybe the media has always had this kind of power, but it's only recently that it's pervasiveness has started to effect people on such a grand scale. And it's especially only recently when the response time of the media is such that they can analyse the responses of people, and perpetuate they myths they themselves have generated (or maybe people really are generally disgusting and the media is just letting everyone know that.)

The question then is what can be done about it? It seems that the people who reject these perpetuated myths are fighting an uphill battle. And it's gyre we're stuck in where idiocy begets idiocy. Personally, I'm going to put my hope in the internet (and social networking.) It's not controlled and is somewhat of a meritocracy. Maybe equality and fairness will rise up.

(Or of course we're overestimating the power of the media and Western society isn't all that bad.)

brianthebard

taconnol wrote: »

brianthebard, you may not believe it but the evidence speaks for itself. The overly sexualised images of young girls and the narrow definitions of female beauty in our media have been proven to have negative effects on the mental health of young children, particularly their self esteem.

Proven to have caused more negative effects on the mental health of girls/women than felt by the average female in the 1800s for instance? Or the middle ages? Why are boys never mentioned in these studies, almost all of boys magazines involve huge muscular cartoon figures or pro athletes, surely this is as damaging or moreso than the media directed at women, but its never commented on. The evidence provided comes from the same media sources which supposedly cause the negativity, the cyclical nature of the thing becomes very self referencing and muddies the reliability of the claims substantially.

JackieT

shellyboo wrote: »

Um... please be joking? Looking at uber-slim fashion models may not be healthy, but if we're talking about preventing plastic surgery, looking at large-breasted, tanned, made-up to the hilt models isn't going to help either. A large proportion of the women in those magazines have already HAD plastic surgery. The aim here is to get young girls to accept their bodies the way they are now, giving them a new ideal - and one that's no healthier - is not the way to go.

I'm not joking actually, many times I think that women have a skewed perception of what an attractive woman would look like - generally men go for the healthy look, not too thin, not too big.

But ok, maybe playboy is not the best example here. Plastic boobs are just not great for fondling.

Playboy magazines from the 70's + 80's era should be alright though, not too much plastic surgery back then if I remember correctly & the women in there would still be attractive to your average male (if he could overlook the ridiculous hairdos.)

JackieT

candy-gal1 wrote: »

which would you pick?

I'd have to disappoint you candygal, but I'd pick Kiera Nightley, the other girls look way too plastic for my taste. Also, that's a ****e pic of her, she looked much better in those wossname pirate movies.

Catari Jaguar

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-look-good-naked/articles/help-gok-get-body-confidence-on-the-curriculum

Gok Wan is petitioning to get body confidence on the British curriculum.

shellyboo

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I am sorry, that is not a natural body shape, at all. The woman clearly has a problem, her bones are sticking out.

It's her natural body shape. Seen her in Bend It Like Beckham? She was a skinny kid, now she's a skinny woman. If you're suggesting she has an eating disorder, I disagree. Sure, she's skinny, but she doesn't look unhealthy to me generally. The picture you chose is infamous for making her look awful, btw, and did cause a lot of controversy at the time.

If we're telling girls that they have to embrace their bodies, there's no room for exceptions. We have to include the skinny, boyish look as much as we have to promote curvier figures.

shellyboo

JackieT wrote: »

I'm not joking actually, many times I think that women have a skewed perception of what an attractive woman would look like - generally men go for the healthy look, not too thin, not too big.

But ok, maybe playboy is not the best example here. Plastic boobs are just not great for fondling.

Playboy magazines from the 70's + 80's era should be alright though, not too much plastic surgery back then if I remember correctly & the women in there would still be attractive to your average male (if he could overlook the ridiculous hairdos.)

Still, dude, do you not think there's something a bit wrong with telling young girls that the ideal body type is that of a porn model, and holding that up as a positive example? I can't see you gaining much support for that, tbh. Nothing wrong with choosing that path, but I think showing young girls such overtly sexualised images would have far greater negative effects on their self-esteem and self-worth.
The point is, there shouldn't be an "ideal" at all. We shouldn't be telling girls that ANY body type is better or perfect... It's about acceptance, not comparison.

Buceph, fwiw, I agree with you - but I won't get into it here, it'd drag us OT!

Wibbs

shellyboo wrote: »

The point is, there shouldn't be an "ideal" at all. We shouldn't be telling girls that ANY body type is better or perfect... It's about acceptance, not comparison.

Yep, but IMHO it's never gonna happen, or at least not in our collective lifetimes. Every single society throughout history has had an ideal body shape for women(and men). This ideal has varied across cultures and times, but it's been there.

Whats interesting for me is that in general that body shape has been far more culturally fluid when applied to women. Men's ideal has been more constant, set in stone as it where if you look at statuary. this Da Vinci image from the 1480's

would still be the "ideal" or damn close to it today. Slap a pair of boxers on your man, give him a decent haircut and frame him in a moody black and white photo and he could easily fit into the LL "who makes you drool" thread on the body front. You would have to trawl a lot deeper to find a body image of women that works over time. Depending on time and culture, she would either be too skinny or too fat.

Now this ideal can at times be closer to the average reality for most women depending on the time and culture. The Roman ideal would fit more average women over time(and appeal to more men at a visceral level) than say the Vogue ideal of today, or the the various times in history where the very large body ideal held sway. We're defo living in one of those times where that ideal is further from the average reality. I'm quite sure some stone age women felt themselves too skinny when faced with the very corpulent and exaggerated Venus figures.

That variance over time interests me because it says something about the times themselves, more than the male ideal anyway(in body shape). The usual theories about cultures with low resources(stone age types) going for very big women and cultures that have a surfeit of resources going for very thin women etc. It interests me as well because it's women as much as if not more than men that set this ideal. Much of the time men are the followers IMHO

The difference is now with mass media, this drift from the average is more keenly felt. I think that's where the media comes in. I don't blame it as such. It's just exaggerating what was always there(as it does).

I agree with brianthebard and Buceph and their take on the male angle on an emotional level, for want of a better word, but for me I do think there are diffs. This again for me is where it gets interesting. I think that the gender diffs in this pursuit of a gender ideal are what makes men less body conscious by comparison. They can be, but not to the same extent. They're more conscious of social power or lack of it. Am I "alpha" enough(though I hate the term), even am I "geeky" enough? Exchange "thin" or "fat" and for me it's comparable. So while young women when asked as per the OP if they would consider plastic surgery many say yes, the rise and popularity of the "Pickup artist" meme is the male version of plastic surgery for their version of self image. As a general thing anyway IMHO the ideal sought is different across the genders.

As for the reproductive reality, I would say as an average men go for what is also average in their society. As do women, you'll see here that women as a general thing don't go for big muscles(leaving the field open for G'em:D). Most female prefs are trim, even slightly pudgy (or some slightly thin). Most men may say they want the skinny woman, but don't actually go for it in reality. I would be like G'em in the sense I have tended to go for the "ideal" which in current terms is skinny. I've never had a long termer with a woman bigger than a 10. Most were 8's or even one 6. I would be unusual enough looking back and looking at most of my male friends. When faced with a direct choice they tended to go for the "size 12" woman.

So while many may say they want the "ideal" but in reality don't go for it, even when they have the choice BTW. That link of Bucephs http://www.fabulousmag.co.uk/diets/diet_body_survey_issue_025.php while a fluff piece may show that. While the size 12 woman is rated better from a built in sense, the same men, or at least over half of them reset to the cultural ideal when asked to name women in the public eye with the best bodies. Myleene Klass and Kelly Brook are size 8 or lower. I'd also suspect if you broke down the rest of their choices on that point they wouldn't be "size 12" women.

TL;DR? There will most likely always be an cultural ideal in body shape, especially for women. Most will fall outside of that, but most men will actually be attracted to the healthy society average. Men while having body image issues of their own would be more concerned with self image based on other social status markers.

I know, I know, longwinded, but its me and I've a raging hongover, so I'm passing on the headache:D

stovelid

I knew I should have went into cosmetic surgery instead of IT.

Talk about a growth market.

Macha

brianthebard wrote: »

Proven to have caused more negative effects on the mental health of girls/women than felt by the average female in the 1800s for instance? Or the middle ages?

I don't see what the point of the comparison is. If it has been proven that images in the media have a negative effect on the mental health of young people, what more do you need to know?

brianthebard wrote: »

Why are boys never mentioned in these studies, almost all of boys magazines involve huge muscular cartoon figures or pro athletes, surely this is as damaging or moreso than the media directed at women, but its never commented on.

Saying it is "never" commented on is an exaggeration. But what are the stats on the symptoms? Which gender undergoes the vast majority of cosmetic surgery? Which gender represents the vast majority of people with eating disorders? Who are the people on diets? Men are clearly not immune to this but there is a reason why women are over-represented in these stats. Men are becoming more represented but if the actual numbers are going up, that's not exactly what I would call progress.

brianthebard wrote: »

The evidence provided comes from the same media sources which supposedly cause the negativity, the cyclical nature of the thing becomes very self referencing and muddies the reliability of the claims substantially.

The evidence does not come from the same media sources.

Research shows that 10-25% of bulimia cases are male. That means 75-90% are female and 71% of Irish adolescents feel adversely affected by the media portrayal of body image - that last result is from a study published in the European Eating Disorders Review.

candy-gal1

JackieT wrote: »

I'd have to disappoint you candygal, but I'd pick Kiera Nightley, the other girls look way too plastic for my taste. Also, that's a ****e pic of her, she looked much better in those wossname pirate movies.

aw ok, well i have to agree there, she looked better then ever in the POTC, and bend it like beckham!

candy-gal1

shellyboo wrote: »

Everyone you picked has had plastic surgery bar Keira Knightley! In fact, of all the pics you posted, I'd choose her as the best role model, simply because she is a true example of embracing your body - she is naturally extremely thin, she has boyish figure and she works it. She hasn't gone and gotten implants to fit in, and she defends her natural body shape in the media.

oh i know, sorry my bad i didnt mean those celebs only i meant people who strive to look like that just to impress and their body imagegets out of hand, body dismorphia and the like! :mad: didnt mean to pick so many booby celebs lol, thats just what i seem to find good looking on a celeb. imho i love this girl!! :)

brianthebard

taconnol wrote: »

I don't see what the point of the comparison is. If it has been proven that images in the media have a negative effect on the mental health of young people, what more do you need to know?

Have mental issues based on body shape been constant or have they risen with the rise of mass media in the last century? If you don't know then you can't say to what degree the media causes damage.

Saying it is "never" commented on is an exaggeration. But what are the stats on the symptoms? Which gender undergoes the vast majority of cosmetic surgery? Which gender represents the vast majority of people with eating disorders? Who are the people on diets? Men are clearly not immune to this but there is a reason why women are over-represented in these stats.

More men commit suicide than women, for a variety of reasons. I'm betting body issues are amongst them.

The evidence does not come from the same media sources.

I should have said disseminated by the same sources. In fact the original survey in the OP is a case in point, it tells us that more girls are thinking of cosmetic surgery (apparently, without any real evidence or statement as to what they surveyed) and at the same time this article compounds the belief that women should conform to an ideal body type.

Macha

brianthebard wrote: »

Have mental issues based on body shape been constant or have they risen with the rise of mass media in the last century? If you don't know then you can't say to what degree the media causes damage.

Researchers have shown strong correlations between regular consumers of media messages through magazines, for example, to be more influenced by those messages. From a study by Dr David Giles on young men and 'lad mags':

The researchers found that men who read lads’ magazines, particularly single men, were more influenced by the flawless body imagery promoted by the magazines. “The message in typical lads’ magazines is that you need to develop a muscular physique in order to attract a quality mate,” says Dr Giles. “Readers internalise this message, which creates anxieties about their actual bodies and leads to increasingly desperate attempts to modify them.”

http://www.winchester.ac.uk/?page=9476

Other research by Flinders University, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, found that girls as young as 6 wanted to be thinner and that a key turning point were starting school (ie peer pressure) but the key age for eating disorders is still 13-14, when children have already been in school for a long time. What is happening at that age?

brianthebard wrote: »

More men commit suicide than women, for a variety of reasons. I'm betting body issues are amongst them.

You hold me to the highest standards for providing proof yet seem to accept "betting" on something for your own claims.

brianthebard wrote: »

I should have said disseminated by the same sources. In fact the original survey in the OP is a case in point, it tells us that more girls are thinking of cosmetic surgery (apparently, without any real evidence or statement as to what they surveyed) and at the same time this article compounds the belief that women should conform to an ideal body type.

Can you explain how the article compounds the belief that women should confirm to an ideal body type?

The Times is hypocritical with its ridiculously mixed messages as itbemoans these trends and yet turn a page and you see exactly the type of image in question.

brianthebard

taconnol wrote: »

Researchers have shown strong correlations between regular consumers of media messages through magazines, for example, to be more influenced by those messages. From a study by Dr David Giles on young men and 'lad mags':

This doesn't answer my question.

You hold me to the highest standards for providing proof yet seem to accept "betting" on something for your own claims.

Highest standards of proof? Where did I call for that? In any case, if you have a better way of finding out why someone suicided when they didn't leave a note I'm all ears. There are many, perhaps innumerable reasons for such an act.

Can you explain how the article compounds the belief that women should confirm to an ideal body type?

You answered your own question below.

The Times is hypocritical with its ridiculously mixed messages as it bemoans these trends and yet turn a page and you see exactly the type of image in question.

Macha

brianthebard wrote: »

This doesn't answer my question.

I don't think the answer, either way, is central to the discussion. You don't just have to look back in our culture, you can look at different cultures. A Swedish study of almost 1 million sufferers of anorexia found those from a non-Western background were the least likely to develop anorexia (also highlighting gender and socio-economic status as key factors).

brianthebard wrote: »

Highest standards of proof? Where did I call for that? In any case, if you have a better way of finding out why someone suicided when they didn't leave a note I'm all ears. There are many, perhaps innumerable reasons for such an act.

As I said, I didn't say that men do not suffer from body-image issues.

brianthebard wrote: »

You answered your own question below.

No, that's talking about the publication as a whole not the article itself, which is not contradictory.

metaoblivia

While I do find those statistics troubling, and I certainly won't argue that media can play a very negative role in the self esteem of girls, I do wonder how serious some of the respondees were. I know when I was in high school, I would have answered yes to that survey - I wanted a nose job, maybe a boob job, anything else that would have made me look better. But it was hardly something I obsessed over. It was more flippant if anything else. And in just a few years I had matured to the point where I was satisfied with myself and instead of answering a survey about plastic surgery so flippantly, I would say, no not interested in plastic surgery.

And again, I'm not saying that's everyone; I'm sure a lot of girls who took that survey truly feel that plastic surgery is the best option for them, and that's really terrible. I just wonder how many were like me - giving flippant answers to something they were too immature and too ignorant to really understand.

Madame Razz

Are not wanting and doing totally different things in this instance?? Like 100 people might want plastic surgery but only 10 of those people may actually do it.

pixiegaga

^^^^^
agreed...

Everyone wants to change at least one thing about their appearance if not more: the solution = plastic surgery
However if you were to straight up offer someone plastic surgery on the spot they would likley all say no however...

I'm in secondary school..(high school ..whatever you want to call it) and its true, schools are ruled by the prettiest...in mean girls they are called 'the plastics' for a reason....

Everyone looks up to them...dont know why....but they want to copy them and be just like them, i think just pure growing up puts an end to this conception but even so you still fell as if these 'plastics ' are better than you....they ask to borrow a pen you give them your dam best pen..they ask you for you french hw you give them all your dam hw...they walk down the hallway you better move and watch tham glide by...

This is reality...of course some 'plastics' are genuinely nice people who do not let their faces dictate what they do in life they just let thier faces enhanse it...others exploit thier faces for all their worth...

I dont blame them thought its sometimes a blessing and a curse as gabby said in desperate housewives....she grew up with people telling her how pretty and beautiful she was she felt like she didnt have to do anything else....

I'm not saying plastic surgery is right/wrong or 'plastics' are good/bad' im just saying that girls cant help it if they want plastic surgery...if someone asked me if i wanted it i would say yesss! but offer it to me straight up let me see a knife i will think again...

Its not just plastic surgery either....any girl who says she hast tried to make herself sick..at least once is lying, any girl who says she hasnt tried not eating for days but eventually gave up is lying..anygirl that this is true for than you are lucky to not let yourself be put under so much pressure from outside forces...that girl is one in a million....

pixiegaga

*sorry for ranting!!!

just thought i should mention that the 'next generation' of teens coming up...now aged about 5-10 are going to be worse!!!

I was watching hannah montana with my 8 year old cousin and she was telling me how she thinks one of the actors are 'fat' and look 'kinda ugly' to actually be on tv...
she also always comments on magazines her mom reads..(not blambing her mom!) she know all about jade's cancer, chris brown beating up rihanna and knows all about jordan and her bf of the moment...most of the time my 8 year old cousin knows more than me about celebs lives and by looking at an article can tell you if the name of said magazine...
when i was her age i dont remember commenting on peoples size or looks but she has the medias view....and i dont know who can be blambed but mark my words the next 'generation' will be much worse!!
she hasnt started looking at herself critically yet but has come as far as to compare herself to classmates ect..just a matter of time til she is finding fault with herself when she is in fact perfect the way she is.

panda100

pixiegaga wrote: »

*sorry for ranting!!!

just thought i should mention that the 'next generation' of teens coming up...now aged about 5-10 are going to be worse!!!

I was watching hannah montana with my 8 year old cousin and she was telling me how she thinks one of the actors are 'fat' and look 'kinda ugly' to actually be on tv...
she also always comments on magazines her mom reads..(not blambing her mom!) she know all about jade's cancer, chris brown beating up rihanna and knows all about jordan and her bf of the moment...most of the time my 8 year old cousin knows more than me about celebs lives and by looking at an article can tell you if the name of said magazine...
when i was her age i dont remember commenting on peoples size or looks but she has the medias view....and i dont know who can be blambed but mark my words the next 'generation' will be much worse!!
she hasnt started looking at herself critically yet but has come as far as to compare herself to classmates ect..just a matter of time til she is finding fault with herself when she is in fact perfect the way she is.

I would tend to agree with this. Younger generations are growing up in such a media dense environment,I think the mental health issues we're going to see with the next generation will be astronomical. I can already see it with my volunteer work for Bodywhys. Many of the younger women attending sessions feel they have nothing If they don't have good looks.

This sad fact is that women receive more prominence and staus in the media and Irish soceity If they are 'goodlooking'. For example, the only way for a women to make it into the sports pages is not to become an accomplisehd athlete but to get a nose and boob job and pose as a bit of totty beside the male athletes.

I've been doing an experiment for my blog for the last week looking at all the images in the mainstream Irish newspapers of women. The vast,vast majority are of women who all fit the Western mould of what is deemed 'attractive', wether its models launching a goverment initiative or a botoxed actress.
I was fairly disgusted when I saw Aware Depression aware week launched by two former Miss Irelands, a huge picture of which made it into The Irish Independent and The Irish Times. The use of women looks and bodies to sell things just has to stop, to give the next generation of women growing up some sort of contenment with how they look.