Gender differences in body-esteem, body dissatisfaction and the effects of the medias thin ideal

Abstract

The issue surrounding body-esteem and dissatisfaction seems to be an escalating problem within society, as the media increasingly celebrates thin ideals. The aim of the research was to investigate whether mass media had a direct influence on body-esteem and body dissatisfaction. A Quantitative analysis was the chosen method. 90 participants were used for analysis, split equally for both genders. The analysis revealed that male and female participants experienced similar levels of body-esteem, with the media playing a powerful predictor for body-esteem levels; with female participants scoring higher than males. Both male and female participants revealed low levels of body-esteem and body dissatisfaction as a result of the media; however females were shown to be more influenced by media than males. Author keywords: Body image, body satisfaction, body esteem, media