Running head:SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

STEPHANIE CAMARGO
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
BEAUTY INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract
The main purpose of this report is to inform how social media affects teenagers, body
image and self-esteem. Also, this explains how the media influences the body image of
adolescent girls in the stage of basic education, and identify how this affects in their
socialization and how they start having a low self-esteem. This report explains the way
the mass media influences the self-concept of adolescents and in what way affects body
image and self-esteem in adolescents. This explains more about how the teenagers feel
about their body and what adolescents do to reach the goal of having the perfect body
image just to be accepted by society.

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

Adolescence is one of the most critical periods for the development of self-esteem
on teenagers. According to the article In favor of myself by Golan, M., Hagay, N., and
Tamir, S. (2014). This is the stage in which every person needs to grow up with a strong
identity. For example, knowing that there is only one of them and everyone else is
different is their on way, adolescents meet their potential. talent and feel more confident
as a person who moves into the future. During the adolescence some things changed for
example some changes to social life, emotional and physical. After this stage, adolescents
develop the ability to reflect and think and to accept a new body image. In doing so, the
adolescents questions about themselves if, Im sexy?, Am I smart?, Am I accepted
by my peers?. Gradually begin to separate what they believe to be true about them and
what they think is wrong and then adolescents start making their own ideas about them.
Social media causes a big impact on adolescents as they start growing up.
Building a strong self-esteem is important for adolescent girls, but many
adolescents have trouble understanding how valuable they are to society. Strong selfesteem can help improve adolescent relationships and the likely of a good performance in
school and later in life. Unfortunately, many factors can influence the self-esteem of
adolescent girls causing them to be vulnerable. Recognizing these factors is the first step
towards eliminating the causes and can work with young people to help them improve
their self-esteem. According to Golan, M., Hagay, N., and Tamir, S. (2014). Body image
has become one of the main factors for social acceptance. Today the media affect both
physically and psychologically teenagers because when you talk about fashion, food,
and accessories, the media is responsible for publishing whether commercial as ads or

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magazines, thin models such as attracting them only the physical person so that they can
be fashionable, and so adolescents can be accepted in society.
Why is the media an issue in relation to body image?
For several years the media such as television, magazines and the internet affects
the body image on adolescents. Social media is a very strong influence on the population
especially for adolescents who are identified with certain models or actors appearing in
the media. In an effort to look as close to their idols, adolescents try to many methods for
example adolescents start doing diets, exercise or renew their wardrobe. But there are
other people who resort to more drastic means as practiced any physical surgery, diets or
excessive exercise and sometimes unfortunately this can end triggering some kind of
eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia.
According to the articleIn favor of myself by Golan, M., Hagay, N., and Tamir,
S. (2014). The cult of thinness, the ideal figure, models with given height and physical
build, makes many people especially young people feel unhappy with their figure.
Making adolescent completely rejecting any of their parts causing many ailments that can
lead to the appearance of certain emotional disorders accompanied by distortion of body
image.

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

As seen in figure 1, it reflects the
standards of society regarding
what is or should be the ideal
woman. To achieve this ideal,
women should perform other
behaviors, adopting new
behaviors, such as making
physical activity, restricted to
lunch, etc. Due to the great
importance given, in fulfilling

these requirements to achieve that

perfect figure, her self-esteem is
sometimes really affected when
compared to the model established
by the media. One of the results is that in addition to low self-esteem, leads to frustration
and no exposure.
What is body image and how is it developed?
Body image is the mental picture that each person has about their own physical
appearance (Buggey, 2007). It is how the person sees herself and how they felt when
they look at the mirror by this is how the person is believed to be looking. Body image
also has to do with feelings and emotions experienced by the person with respect to how
they perceive their physical, and how people feel about their own body. The
development of body image depends the most on each person, but the people around

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

them and society inevitably also influence this body image in general. Adolescents often
receive messages, explicit and implicit, of family and friends about their body and the
value of how adolescents should look.
The media also send messages about the importance of image and body worship,
often posts a very negative influence on the development of body image, since such
models often show unrealistic and unattainable beauty bodies. Also,there is another factor
that affects the development of body image this: the natural process of growth and aging
people. Life stages such as puberty or menopause can alter the body image of the person,
because when our body changes we experience changes in our emotions and feelings too.
From the beginning of life to establish a self-image is modified over the years and is
closely related to the concept of the perfect body image.
How does the media play a part in teenager self-esteem?
Adolescents always forget how to be independent. Girls are often exposed to
many messages of the social media and peer pressure of how to be thin, pretty, and the
expectations of how a teenager should look or act (Moran & DuBois, 2002). Often,
these expectations are not realistic or achievable. Many teenagers compare themselves to
their idols as being independent with everything already resolved and this makes
adolescents likely to have a low self-esteem.
What are some of the effects that self-esteem causes on teenagers?
Today, in developed societies, children and adolescents have all their needs, even
some have everything and more than necessary. However, exist an increasing numbers of
children and adolescents with depression, problems with alcohol and drugs, bullying or
harassment, and eating disorders. Self-esteem is the awareness of teenagers and is related

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

to their own acceptance. When the adolescents level is low or because they are not
properly performed or because they are suffering, they are vulnerable to bad influences or
react inappropriately.
A study of Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment,
prevention, and treatment by Mitchell, J. E. (2009) explored that one of the most
damaging cultural impositions is the ideal of a extreme thinness as a way for social
acceptance and popularity, which is making more and more young people to stop eating.
Many adolescents between 12 and 26 years expressed their dissatisfaction with their
own bodies and how they start feeling guilty eating even if it is in healthy portions
(Mitchell, 2009).
In addition, the beauty in today's society is imposed as the most important value
of being handsome or pretty because it makes adolescents popular. People believe that
they must remain eternally young and must take care of every physical detail. To achieve
this, there is an entire industry that includes creams, exercise equipment, plastic surgery,
appetite loss pill, and many more. However, people are not sure what is the difference
between the ideal and the real.

SELF-INDUSTRY AND SELF-ESTEEM

Reference page
Buggey, T. (2007, Summer). Storyboard for Ivan's morning routine. Diagram. Journal of
positive behavior interventions, 9(3), 151. Retrieved december 14, 2007, from
academic search premier database.
Golan, M., Hagay, N., & Tamir, S. (2014). Gender related differences in response to In
favor of myself wellness program to enhance positive self & body image among
adolescents. 9(3), 1-9. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091778
http:www.plosone.org/home.action
Mitchell, J. E. (2009). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment,
prevention, and treatment. New England journal of medicine, 360(26), 2797.
doi:10.1056/NEJMbkrev0902849
Moran, B. L., & DuBois, D. L. (2002). Relation of social support and self-esteem to
problem behavior: Investigation of differing models. Journal of early adolescence, 22(4),
407.
https//O-www.sagpub.com.lib.utep.edu