It happens to all of us. A tiny feeling creeps within us and makes our hearts sink with discontent. Whether it’s a pimple or an extra pound, the feeling of being insecure and unhappy with the way you look is nothing you can wipe off of a foggy mirror. A strong agent of body image issues come from the media. The media has a significant impact on today’s current generation. Through television and magazine advertisements, millions of boys and girls are being torn through the media’s image on the “ideal” appearance.
Even through the creation of the Barbie Doll, unrealistic expectations are automatically forced upon little girls. According to MomGrind.com, if Barbie was magically transformed into a real human, at 5’9″ tall and weighing 110 lbs., she would have a body-mass index (BMI) of 16.24. Such a low BMI shows that Barbie would be considered severely underweight.
Also, with her un-proportional measures of a 39″ bust, 18″ waist, 33″ thighs and size 3 shoes, Barbie would have to walk on all fours because she could not walk upright.
Although boys aren’t playing with Barbie dolls (or most boys at least), they also experience these targets through advertisements that portray images of “real” masculinity.
The media is continually feeding a disgusting lie to viewers all around the world. This lie tells us that we are not good enough unless we look like the models in Calvin Klein ads.
However, the media is wrong, and we too often overlook this fact. The foggy mirror in front of us should be cleared away with confidence as it reveals a beautiful being, one who is perfect despite any flaws.