This document discusses statistics and research related to the influence of media on body image and violence. It notes that many teenage girls who read fitness magazines engage in unhealthy behaviors to lose weight. Young children are worried about body image. Models weigh less than average women. Exposure to thin women in music videos increases body dissatisfaction. Most television and movies make viewers feel insecure. Repeated exposure to violence in media can desensitize youth and lead to increased violence. The document suggests educating children about unrealistic media portrayals and limiting exposure to violent or sexual content.

1. Hunter Lewis

2. Some Statistics About Appearance and
Weight
 79% of teenage girls who vomit and 73%
of teenage girls who use diet pills
frequently read women’s health and
fitness magazines
 A study showed that ½ of 3-6 year old
girls were already worried about being
overweight
 The average model weighs 23% less than
the average woman

3. 1 out of every 4 commercials sends a
message about attractiveness
 One study discovered that viewing
music videos that included thin
women led to an increase in body
dissatisfaction
 80% of women who answered a
survey said that women on television
and in movies made them feel
insecure about their bodies

4. The media influences women
and men to be anorexic and
bulimic. They want to be
skinny, even if they are
skinny enough. It causes
people to starve themselves
and harm their body.

5. This is how some people portray themselves after
being exposed to ads with skinny people in them.

6. How can we solve this problem?
There isn’t really a way
to solve society’s
opinion, but there are
ways for a person to help
themselves appreciate
their appearance and
body.

7.  Be realistic: Most models starve
themselves and have eating disorders.
They punish their bodies and hurt
themselves to look like skin and bones.
 Variety: Why would you want to look like
someone else? Or have everyone the
same weight and they all looked alike?
 You might not like you’re body image,
but there is someone or a few people
who think you’re perfect and beautiful.

8. Statistics of violence

9.  66% of children (ages 10 to 16) surveyed said that
their peers are influenced by TV shows.
 62% say that sex on TV shows and movies
influences kids to have sex when they are too
young.
 Witnessing repeated violent acts can lead to
desensitization and a lack of empathy for human
suffering.
 Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth
violence.
 By age 18, a U.S. youth will have seen 16,000
simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence.

11. TV shows that contain
profanity cause kids to
use profanity in public
places and it causes
them to overuse cuss
words.
They think this is “cool.”

12. Most shows include violence.
When kids and teenagers are
exposed to enough violence, they
become “immune” to it. Then they
start to do acts of violence
because things in the media have
taught them that it’s alright to be
violent.

13. I will now talk about a
few real life examples I
didn’t put on my
presentation.

14. How can the problem be solved?
Don’t let kids and teenagers be
exposed to so much violence and
sexual content.
Talk to your kids about what’s
reality and what’s fake.
Educate your kids.

15. Resources
 Media influence. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.raderprograms.com/causes-
statistics/media-eating-disorders.html
 http://mommymadness.weebly.com/uploads/8/8/6/0/8860653/8937898.jpg
 http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGJpI5a1sObByf-
ukIsuXdYq4hBk8diIkkb_pse7vAapoHUFMq
 http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTEXaAj2Z6SPuDzhMi1GGGwP8Rr44_L
MFtAQkwLrV4Czxtyw1n6
 Dawursk, G. (2007, November 30). Media's influence on youth. Retrieved from
http://mediaandyouth.com/
 http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/images/ns_charts/VCA_trends_95-06.jpg