Don’t let media bully your body: Using positive media images to change body image perception among young adolescents

Pages: 653-658
Varsha Singh, Garima Nayak, R. Rajeshwari, and Sanya Dhawan (Department of Psychology, Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, Delhi)

Of all the components that play a role in determining a person’s self image, the perception that she/he has of their body and physical appearance is one of the more essential considerations. Such perceptions are not formed in isolation, but in response to socio-cultural stimuli present around us. One of the more impactful of these is the media. To explore this relationship, this study aims to uncover the role of media on body image. For this purpose, two short videos depicting body positivity and unrealistic beauty standards present in the media and two standard questionnaires were used to assess media influence on a sample of 100 people between the ages of 18 and 24. Results revealed that while desires to alter their appearance for the better existed among the women, a significant relationship existed only between positive media representation and not for the unrealistic beauty standards.