Have you ever thought about the negative effects that the media has on young women? Along with the pressure of fitting in with the others students in their grade, the average girl must constantly deal with the ridicule that the media brings on. The media has a negative effect on young women by promoting the use of illegal substances, creating the idea that “thin” is beautiful, having a large effect on fashion, and giving out bad advice.

In this generation, music is considered an essential to many teenagers. Most would agree that there is a song for any social situation. If a teenage girl and her boyfriend are constantly breaking up and getting back together and she is fed up with it: We Are Never Getting Back Together by singer Taylor Swift may become their theme song. Or, if she has fallen head over heels for the bad boy: The Way by Ariana Grande ft Mac Miller is number one on her top played music. While these are normal situations for teenagers to go through and overcome, the media is using music to both send out messages to teens and make a little money on the side. For example, the song Young, Wild, and Free by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa, contains the lyrics, “So what we get drunk, so what we smoke weed, we’re just having fun, we don’t care who sees. So what we go out, that’s how it’s supposed to be: Living young, wild, and free.” This song sends out the message to teens that going out and getting high is completely acceptable because they are young and as everyone knows, you only live once. This is a negative impact that affects many teens in this generation.
Similarly, in today’s culture, partying as a teenager is accepted as normal. It is completely okay to go out and drink, maybe even smoke. The media sends teenagers mixed messages when it comes to doing things like drinking and doing drugs. Take smoking for example: there are signs and commercials talking about the dangers of smoking. Not only is it the cause of lung cancer but many other cancers and illnesses. When teenagers see these signs, they decide that smoking isn’t such a good idea... until they see a picture of one of their favorite singers smoking. Maybe that idol was arrested for getting in trouble while under the influence. It is obvious that the media sends out a poor message to teenagers.
The teenage years may be some of the toughest years. They’re constantly looking for inspiration and when they see someone they look up to and respect doing something that may not be smart, they’re going to think, “If they can do it and look cool, so can I.” According to a survey taken by Columbia University, teens that have seen pictures on social media of other teens doing drugs, drinking, or passed out, are four times more likely to have used marijuana, three times more likely to have consumed alcohol, and almost three times more likely to have used tobacco (Brys). The reasoning behind this is that while the media shows parties through T.V. shows, teenagers see them and feel like they’re missing out on something, or that they are not cool because they do not smoke or drink. Clearly the media has a negative affect on teenagers through their advertisements.
As children grow older, they start to realize small things about themselves; maybe it’s the fact that they have bags under their eyes or that their stomach pokes out a little bit past their pants. As young women struggle with their small insecurities, they turn to their idols for an example of how they should look. They see flat stomachs, tiny waists, perfect hair, flawless skin, and all of the praise that these models receive for having all of these features. Soon they start to wonder if maybe they should look that way too. What they don’t realize is that magazines set up impossible comparisons and that over 20% of the women shown are below a healthy weight (Serdar). Using photoshop and other photo tools, they make their models skin clearer, erase flaws, and completely change the picture.
Still, once the girls realize that they are not as perfect as the women in the pictures, they turn to unhealthy methods to try and change themselves. Some even develop what is known as body dysmorphic disorder, which is a mental disorder that causes the mind to constantly dwell on minor flaws that may or may not even exist. These girls become so obsessed with achieving said idea of beautiful, that they are willing to damage themselves to achieve it. It starts out with a missed meal, until soon they are not eating anything. Society tells women that if they’re strong and determined enough, they can reach their goal. It is clear that the idea of beautiful in our culture is simply “thin” (Brown).
Another major influence on young girls is what they see on their television. What they see on the screen is what they start to believe, especially if they hear it enough times. One of the major problems with this is that eating disorders are glamorized instead of condemned, starvation is more of a diet than a disease. While they make for a great story, eating disorders affect 8 million Americans every year (S.C Health Department). One show, Pretty Little Liars, has a character named Hanna Marin, who suffered from bulimia for two years. After she recovers, she continuously talks about how great it was for her because she is now a size 0. Young girls who feel insecure about themselves may see this ‘bulimia’ as an opportunity to lose weight because they see how beautiful the actress who plays Hanna Marin is and how tiny she is. What they do not realize is that she is merely an actress and never actually experienced an eating disorder. It is very obvious that T.V. sends out the message that beautiful is thin, and young girls are buying into it.
Apart from body image, the media also creates the negative image of what is considered fashionable. Many girls look up to the women on the covers of magazines. Although there is a variety of fashion magazines, many girls will most likely read them all. What they see are tall women with tiny waists and perfect hair wearing revealing clothing. While the magazine specifically says that the outfit is meant for a night on the town, girls will try to copy the style anyway. When they show up at school wearing revealing clothes or something that may look a few sizes too small, they get labeled and their reputation slowly goes downhill, meaning that other students will get the wrong idea about them. This negative image is the image that the media has created for young women.
Likewise, magazines are the central hub for the media and their negative influences. Magazines are full of mixed messages that can cause a teen to get the wrong idea. Take Teen Cosmo for example; it contains fashion, sex advice, dating tips, and celebrity news. This magazine holds all of the secrets to looking hot and getting the boy while making it clear that they should never go “all the way”. While teen magazines are good for advertising the cutest hairstyles for school (Seventeen Magazine) and the hottest fashions (Elle Girl), it is these ideas that confuse girls and send them spiraling down a path to writing the stories Reputation Trashed after One Night Stand instead of reading them.
Furthermore, magazines are filled with articles such as 101 Ways to Go Back to School a New Person or 10 Ways to Become the Girl He Wants. Articles such as these may make the reader feel as if she is broken and needs to be fixed or isn’t good enough. These magazines always address the social aspects but completely avoid all mention of academic importance of school. While having friends and fitting in is an important thing in life, it should not be the number one priority. Clearly, the media affects the choices that girls make negatively.
The negative effects of the media are visible anywhere young women look. Whether it is through music, television, or magazines, the stress is there. While young women struggle with their body image or with fitting in now, what will these issues be like in a few years? It might be more common for the average teenager to struggle with an eating disorder or to be arrested for underage drinking. Clearly, the media needs to take a step back and analyze the message that they are sending out for our future generations to come.











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