The Shrinking Image of Teenage Girls in America
Terri Alvarez Haynes
Grantham University
Abstract
Teenage girls in America are suffering from eating disorders, emotional problems, and low self-esteem issues due to the influences of television and the social media’s unrealistic ideals of the perfect body shape and size. Teen girls feeling pressured to be perfect are developing life threatening illness’ that are threatening to become a worldwide problem. The current statistics are clear proof this problem needs to be addressed by the nation. Educators, parents, and the government system need to take action and create programs to begin the healing process.
The Shrinking Image of Teenage Girls in America
It is estimated that eight million Americans have an eating disorder. Seven million women and one million men suffer from bulimia, anorexia or a combination of both. Eating disorders account for the highest mortality rates of any mental illness. Although this problem affects girls and boys alike, the pace at which this disorder is growing in teenage girls is shocking. Teenage girls in America are feeling pressured by society to conform to an unrealistic body size. This is mostly due to the media’s perception of what is considered beautiful. The media is slowly brain washing teenage girls into believing that to be pretty and popular you must be super skinny. These unattainable standards result in eating disorders as well as severe emotional problems. The research shows that the gap between the perceived ideal body shape and reality is widening, as women are generally getting larger while models, actresses and women who appear on television are getting smaller. (C. Norton, 2000) American parents and the media should do everything they can to help boost the self-esteem of young people, especially girls, and promote healthier, realistic body images to help...