Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

Over the past few days I have seen a few blogs on body image. Here's what I want to contribute, and what I hope to achive is a serious discussion the topic. I'm not here to be flamed, im here to chat and make friends and have some good chats about the things that effect us all. I don't want to offend any one either, so please don't moan. :D

First i'd like you to consider this image.. to the left is me, to the right is a celeb image. What i idolise, what i want to look like. check out the link http://jan21a.imghost.us/YSfv.jpg

I wrote a blog about how i was depressed about how I looked,

"Feeling Depressed %26amp; the only cure would be to kill myself in the Gym!"

I was actually Shocked to get people messaging me telling me not to be stupid.. how could i be depressed over such a thing. Thanks for the compliments, they made me feel better, but as soon as i started looking at magazines, or watched tv, or seen anything media related, i felt like **** again.

Everyone has a body image; the way in which a person sees their own body. A body image may be poor, or good, depending on the perceptions that are involved. A poor body image involves negative perceptions (i.e. "I'm unattractive," or "I'm too fat," etc,) where as a good body image involves positive perceptions. Extreme criticism of one's own body is characteristic of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, which involves a distorted body image.

A person's self image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, sex, I.Q. score, is this person double-jointed, etc.), but also items that have been learned by that person about himself or herself, either from personal experiences or by internalizing the judgments of others. Those items include the answers to such questions as:

Am I thin? Am I fat? Am I attractive? Am I weak? Am I strong? Am I intelligent? Am I stupid? Am I a good person? Am I a bad person? Am I masculine? Am I feminine? Am I likable?

So ideas for feedback :D... Do you think the media is good or bad for the mental health of society? does depress you too? Can you give your thoughts and feelings about your own body image? Does this media promote motivation for self improvement? or does it just make you wanna hide? What about being gay/bi, does that make it worse, do straight guys feel the same? Im all for accepting myself for what i am, but i find it very difficult becaus eof these very reason.:( over and out... :D

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

You're not that far from your ideal to begin with, and you look fine to me.

Advertisement in particular along with the rest of the media (obviously) use ideals in their work. I don't know how much of an influence it really is on the individual.

While straight guys may have body image issues, they have it far less often than gay men do, or so it seems to me. My guess is that they realize that the object of their attraction, women, can be won over without the "look." Men, on the other hand, are very visually focused so as gay men, we worry about our attractiveness.

It's a great topic for lengthy discussion. Not sure if I want to type that much right now, though! ;)

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

Media is horrible for self image. It sets standards way too high when the general public does not look that way. Don't feel discouraged...there is always going to be something that you don't like about yourself...but until you decide to be content with your body and personality...no one else is going to find you attractive. Confidence is attractive...

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

gooooood to look at. bad to ever attain

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

The media only wants to portray the people it considers beautiful or sexy; they want to glorify society. It's a dumb idea.

I can relate to what you are feeling, as I am not the best with my self-image. I have a childish face, and it depresses me, as does my body; I often feel that I am not thin enough.

The media is definitely unhealthy for self-image; people should try to dissociate themselves from those ideals of 'beauty' and develop their own.

To the first answerer: You cannot "decide" to be confident. Even though you may hold your head high in public, the nagging thoughts will be there. This sort of thing cannot be helped but professionally. I have been there and done that with my own self-esteem; trust me.

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

The media.

Bad, bad, bad. When does the Media ever promote you just being you? Ha.

Try this, do that, you don't look good enough, buy our protein shake. It's just advertising, negative reinforcement that we should all be superficial...

Of course it has a negative impact on all of us. It does on me a little, I'm not going to lie.

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

First off you look good, I would love to have a man with your body, do not be so down on yourself, and keep yourself happy, do not let what others say afect the way you feel about yourself, it's all good, if you are happy be happy.

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

You look fine-the person on the right probably all his time is taken up trying to keep it looking that way and has no time for anything else in their life-they focus on themselves and nothing else.

Body Image! Media Good or Bad?

Don't know if it's just me, but I'm not getting your pics from the link, just to the sites main page.

Overall, we seem to have declined into a state where the media really negatively affects people's own perceptions of their bodies. You say 'how could i be depressed over such a thing', when the reality is that millions of people have become depressed, due to their own internalised perception of how they are and how they 'should be'. Such thinking has caused people to commit suicide, I'd recommend that you consider your words carefully, before posting - remember, your words have influence over others.

I'd love to live in a society where people feel better about themselves, just as they are. Including where size 0 for women isn't something that's desired. Self-esteem can be trashed when people are surrounded by adverts and media content that condition them to believe that they are not good enough.

Specifically for gay and bi guys, there has been parrallel development of body 'fascism', as documented in several books over the last decade or so. Nasty.

Hope these thoughts help. Good luck! Rob