JMC 1100 1st Edition Lecture 18 Media Uses and Effects Body Image and Social Comparison Media Today I Indiana and the Dangers of Inattention a Pro Religion law has Anti Equality consequences II Tara Reid and the Body Fight a Actress is ridiculed for being too skinny and unhealthy in recent bikini photos Last time I Cultivation theory a Long term exposure to heavy TV content has accumulated effects on the perceptions of the audience II Mean world syndrome III Mainstreaming of attitudes Today Social Identity I We classify ourselves and others into various social categories a Examples age gender religious affiliation hipsters walking dead fans II In the past we used the people around us as models of these different categories Self Identity I II Self Identity is how a person understands and views themselves It is a general self assessment a Personality skills abilities occupation hobbies beliefs attitudes etc III Helps you define who you are and what you believe Components of Self Identity I World View your understanding of how the world works and how you think it should work a Ex you identify as green and you think everyone else should be green Self Esteem Your overall appraisal of your own worth a Ex Feeling like you are smart successful and good person Self Identity and Media II I Individuals actively sample cultural symbols myths and rituals as they produce their identities Brown et al 1994 These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute a Mass media is convenient tool for observing other identities and comparing them to your own 4 characteristics of identity II Identity social identity self identity a Constructed over a period of time b Can be updated or changed c Can be future based d That it impacts your behavior and attitudes Social comparison Theory III Individuals constantly make comparisons between themselves and like others a Identification is important b If media images are rare nonexistent or of a narrow range social comparison can be negative Two Types of Comparison I Downward Comparison we compare to someone who is less than ourselves to feel better about ourselves a Outcomes i Boost in self esteem ii Keep you status quo II Upward Comparison we compare to someone better a Outcomes i Dissatisfaction with self lower self esteem ii Might serve as motivation for self improvement Body images a source for comparison I Our idea of what beauty both male and female has changed over time II A dramatic changed occurred with the development of media Social Comparison and Body image I Fact Women who compare themselves to other women particularly media images are more dissatisfied with their bodies a Increasingly true for men as well Fiji Islands Study II III Wanted to study Fijian girls exposure to American TV and how this effected body image Before TV Fijian girls believed that going thin was a bad sign and that gaining weight was healthy a Only one reported case of anorexia by the mid 1990 s IV Three years later after their exposure to American TV 74 girls reported feeling too big a 62 were dieting b 15 were purging V Linked body images of women on TV with success a Saw these ideals and wanted to emulate them The Thin Ideal I Thin Ideal media portrayals of thinness as the most desirable body types for women II Often pairs with other traits to show that thinness success III Not about health but about a size The Lean muscular Ideal I The Lean Muscular Ideal media portrays lean muscular and toned as the most desirable body type for men II Links body type to masculinity Impacts of the Thin Lean Ideals I Exposure to these ideals increases body dissatisfaction and decreases self esteem II Link to social comparison and identity Why does all of this matter I II III Negative effects of body image can impact many areas of your life Social comparisons may lead to lower self esteem OR motivate self improvement Trying your identity to your body may deemphasize other valuable traits a Intelligence personality kindness etc Objectification and the Theory I Objectification when the body as a sexual object is the primary means of association a Attaches value to your body parts II Objectification Theory a Girls and women are culturally trained to internalize other s views of themselves as their primary view of their physical selves Objectification I II The media exposes us to the body as a sexualized object Often we only see bits and pieces a All of it is sexualized Two types of Objectification I Self Objectification we start thinking about ourselves in terms of specific external parts a Body monitoring women check something about their body or appearance every 30 seconds avg II Partner objectification we start evaluation others in terms of specific external parts Objectification I II Objectifying media consumption is related to partner objectification Partner objectification is related to decrease in relationship satisfaction a Relationships suffer because of this Conclusion I II Media influences how we think about ourselves But what about how we think about others