By Jade Lantz
Published on November 7, 2007
What do you think self image is? To me, self image is how you perceive yourself and how you want others to perceive you. My self image is comprised of: how I look, how I dress, and how I feel. It has been said that “if you look good, you feel good,” however, that is not always the case. Because of the influence of the media on young females, there are always feelings of inadequacy.
Personally the media has had a large impact on my self image and body consciousness. When the television comes on, I see skeletal images of young Hollywood stars with beautiful bronze flawless skin and the top fashion trends covering their gorgeous bodies. I begin to compare myself to these women and I feel inadequate, when in reality, I am adequate; I am healthy.
Today (but more so in the past), women are supposed to be the beautiful creatures that men adore, and there is a great deal of pressure set upon us to keep up our image. Women in fact compete against each other because they want to be the best looking female on the street attracting the attention of men. Girls, especially ones in high school, try so hard to keep a good figure, wear enough makeup to cover their problem skin, and dress ‘sexy’ enough to get boys’ attention and ultimately obtain a boyfriend. I did, and I know I still do some of the same things I did in high school to feel more “attractive.”
Every morning, when I wake up, I shower, put on my make-up, do my hair, and get dressed; a regime that takes nearly an hour. Every day I do this because I almost feel it is necessary to look ‘pretty’ and well kept in order to receive what I believe is good attention; I want people to look at me and think “she looks attractive and confident.”
Even now that I am in a steady and healthy relationship, I still feel the need to maintain my image. I know it is unrealistic to think that if I gain 5 pounds or if I have a zit that my boyfriend will not like me anymore, but that is how not only I think, but how many women think.
Growing up, my mother always taught me how to dress, brush my hair, and keep up a slender physique. It is commonly stressed to adolescent girls that they need to work out and stay below a certain clothing size not only because it is healthy, but because that is what is acceptable in society today. Males less commonly endure this sort of pressure.
If a person is fat, they are looked at as being lazy and unhealthy, and I somewhat have to agree. Yes, some people have illnesses and “genes” which make them the way they are, but to a large extent, we have control over our bodies. I have influence not only on my own self conscious level, but on other female’s conscientious level, and they have the same effect on me. The female species is severely unsympathetic and insensitive to one another. I know I have both given and received looks from other women in acceptance and in rejection in terms of my appearance. This has in turn made me more aware of how I look and feel when I leave the house every morning.
Most people would blame the media for shaping women’s feelings about body image; however I believe there are other major factors influencing this. Men and women in our everyday lives help us to form opinions of ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world.