Do you agree or disagree with the statement? “The media have a negative effect on the ways the youth view themselves.”

Today, young people are exposed to various forms of media on a daily basis, which has led to concerns over the profound impact of media on them. From my perspective, I am in complete agreement that the way young people perceive themselves has been adversely affected by the media. The prevalence of impossibly perfect body images on the Internet has erroneously shaped juveniles' concept of beauty. According to the Merriam-Webster medical definition, “Body Image is a subjective picture of one's own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others” (Merriam-Webster, n. d. ). In this modern time, unrealistically ideal body images used for beauty magazine covers, cosmetic brands, and fitness advertisements have been cascaded over all the media. Chances are, juveniles may constantly see those pictures and then draw an unfavorable comparison with their bodies. As a result, those so-called glamorous images have gradually led young people to internalize a slender or sinewy body type as attractive and reinforced the notion that if your body looks like a model’s, you are beautiful. The effort to be considered “pretty” has given rise to several severe issues in young people’s well-being. The youth tend to feel inferior when they see “perfect” photos of models so they will go the extra mile with the attempt to fit in the so-called ideal body shape in the mistaken belief that they will gain recognition and admiration from other people. In an article named “The Media and Body Image”, a lot of student-athletes utilize some drugs to look more muscular like a model. Some girls also resort to steroids in the extreme to possess an attractive appearance (Chima, 2011). On top of that, constant comparisons take a heavy toll on their confidence and self-esteem. In some cases, they can even instigate anxiety and depression. In a survey conducted by The Mental Health Foundation with You Gov in 4505 UK adults, 35% of them felt depressed and 13% of them even experienced suicidal thoughts due to body dissatisfaction (Mental Health Foundation, 2019). Some people might say that the media are not that inimical to the youth’s perception about themselves; on the other hand, people are taking steps to make the platforms more positive. To be specific, in “ The Link Between Social Media and Body Image”, Sarah Gervais, Ph. D. of Psychology Today, stated, “ Instagram has the ability to empower users because the platform has made eating disorder-specific keywords or hashtags unsearchable. When these search terms are excluded, people can focus on healthier representations of bodies on social media” (King University, 2019). In other words, that the youth are struggling with their body image concern has been taken into consideration, and the media are attempting to address the issues. For this reason, opponents believe that the conviction that the media is detrimental to the way the youth perceive themselves is irrational. However, that point is not important because the consequences of trying to conform to “ideal” body image in young people are still worrying. According to a study performed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, approximately 40% of 9 and 10 year-old girls are already trying to lose weight (as cited in Javier, 2021). Therefore, more effective measures should be implemented to inhibit this alarming situation. To sum up, even though the media can be of service to young people to some extent, I am in complete agreement that the media has a negative impact on the way the youth perceive themselves. Diversity in body size and shape should be welcomed and advocated widely. Only in this way will the youth regain their confidence and self-esteem in their true selves.