portrayal of women in mass media

[swatiraohnlu]

Media tend to generalize. In commercials, films, books, etc. it is much easier to generalize than to put together all pieces of the puzzle. Therefore, many "established prejudices" still remain, such as:

* Women are portrayed as sexual objects. Beauty is being prioritized over education and intelligence.
* Women are portrayed as perfect models. Although very often "Photoshop-edited", women are portrayed as beautiful and perfect, while stressing the importance of being slim. This leads in consequence to "promotion of anorexia", which is clearly undesirable.
* Women are portrayed as mothers. In many advertisements, it is solely the woman who takes care of the family and household. This creates a social stigma that women who pursue career are automatically bad wives and mothers.

What do you think about the portrayal of women in mass media?

 

[swatiraohnlu]

Media do not talk only about thin models and caring mothers in advertisements. Media also reports on real life situations, such as - for example - successful scientists or politicians, regardless of their gender.

 

[swatiraohnlu]

A big part of media audience consists of teenagers, who are particularly vulnerable to the violence and various stereotypes, promoted by media: This is because the mentality of young people is in the process of formation. The impact of media on the morality of the younger generation can affect the future of our society negatively. Many girls idolize models and feel the need to mirror their thinness. Models of a very low weight are setting bad examples to these girls and can be held responsible for the increasing number of girls with eating disorders

 

[dimpy.handa]

The nature of the relationship between women and the mass media has been considered in recent years by sociologists and psychologists as well as media critics, in part based on a concern that the way women are portrayed in the media has a deleterious effect on the way women are viewed in society at large. Women's roles in society have been changing through the determined efforts of feminists and sympathetic political groups over the past two decades, and some of these changes are clearly reflected on television, in film, and in other media portrayals. At the same time, it is evident that progress in changing media portrayals is behind the curve as far as the degree of equality that should be depicted, the roles given to women in the media, and the roles women play behind the scenes in the media as well. In a sense, the media tends to be more like Congress than like the rest of society, touting and promoting social changes that are forced on society at large while the media and Congress continue as if the rules and requirements of contemporary society do not apply to them.