Free Essays,College Free Essays,Free College Essays at Anti Essays

Omnipotent Media
With a template that “views sex as more important than anything else, that ridicules men who are not in control of their women, and that disparages fidelity and commitment,”(Kilbourne 420) how can one still believe that the media has a positive influence on society? We are constantly bombarded by advertisements, television shows and products that seem to tell us that who we are is not enough. It would appear that happiness is only achieved by those who possess the larger salary or are sporting the latest designer clothing. The influence of media is primarily negative, because it gives one the belief that their own life is not enough to be happy.
Many teenagers feel they have to live up to how the media portrays “attractive,” or “popular.” A teenager grows up in a grueling environment, always being pressured to be what is considered cool. Teenaged girls may see themselves as too fat, to a point that it becomes an obsession or a sickness, whereas, teenaged boys have to be cool to fit in the crowd. If you are not wearing designer clothing, you simply do not fit in. “It is hard for girls not to learn self-hatred in an environment in which there is such widespread and open contempt for women and girls…It is also not surprising that, in such an environment, sexual harassment is considered normal and ordinary.”(Kilbourne 439) The media’s portrayal of perfection can many times injure the confidence of a growing teen. This low self-esteem often comes from the unrealistic standard that is set by the media.
While watching television shows, one constantly sees a high level set in the standard of living in America. One may think that to be normal or more popular is solved simply by buying expensive things. While spending two years in Brazil, I witnessed firsthand how one would place these expensive possessions over physical well-being. Many houses there, upon first glance, appear as simple shacks, with walls that resemble...