Reflective Journal 1

Student Name

Professor Julie Doar-Sinkfield

Society and the Media

Date

Disclaimer: This is a sample. Use this as an example and create your own reflective journal.

When I was a teenager I was greatly affected by the women I saw in movies and

magazines in a negative way. I remember watching beautiful actresses on the big screen and

thought this was the way women should look and it became the way I wanted to look as well.

The majority of actresses I watched in movies were tall and physically fit. I watched the

beautiful girl always ended up with the cute guy and lived happily ever after. I was particularly

affected by movies during my teenage years when I was developing a sense of self and learning

about my body. I also read a lot of fashion magazines when I was a teenager and enjoyed

looking at the models who wore new fashionable clothes. The advertisements in the fashion

magazines showed tall and thin women in beautiful locations. “Studies examined exposure to

media forms and body image to show that there may be a link between viewing images of thin

bodies and personal body dissatisfaction” (Makwana, 1). I found this to be true with my own

experience. My self-esteem lowered and I was extremely dissatisfied with my body as I realized

that I would never grow to be six feet tall and develop a perfect body. I did not realize that the

women I saw in movies and in magazines had a team of people working hard to make them look

perfect for the few moments they were on camera. The images in magazines were photo

shopped and their natural imperfections were erased and replaced with flawless images. “Social

media not only exposes young girls to certain beauty standards and cultural ideals of

womanhood, but emerging research shows it may contribute to the development of eating

disorders and body dysmorphia.” (Tackett, 2). Luckily I did not develop an eating disorder but

unfortunately a few of my classmates did. Sadly, as a teenager I didn’t realize that I was trying

to obtain a body that was not possible and not real. It is sad to think that the media has this much

impact on the public and the way we feel about ourselves, and a lot of people do not feel good

about themselves unless they conform to the images that mainstream culture promotes.

Sources

1. Bindal Makwana. 2018. Selfie-Esteem: The Relationship Between Body Dissatisfaction

and Social Media in Adolescent and Young Women. https://www.in-

mind.org/article/selfie-esteem-the-relationship-between-body-dissatisfaction-and-social-

media-in-adolescent

2. Brittany Tackett. .2019. Social Media and Body Image.

https://www.projectknow.com/eating-disorders/and-social-media/