Image and Society

Today’s media is what has set the standards for beauty.  People see how society says they should look through television, magazines, and the internet.  These factors add intense pressure to a person, which could make them go through drastic measures, such as not eating or taking steroids, to accomplish beauty for themselves.  Hall tells a story of a boy who was pressured to look not thin, but “strong and virile”. (Hall)  He was pressured through his peers at school, whom all had the right “body image”. (Hall) He ultimately accomplished his goal because of other people’s opinions, and not for himself. (Hall) Sometimes it might not be through the media, but from pressure of friends or family.  It is important that a person is content with their image, because being content could raise their self confidence and allow them to achieve great things.

People sometimes go through a lot to achieve their self image. Society has put pressure on individuals, saying that in order to succeed in life, you must have beauty. It’s a fact people take drastic measures to look good, but I ask myself, is it all that important?  Beauty is a rewarding trait to have, especially in today’s society, but it should not get to the point to where one is physically or mentally putting themselves in harms way in order to achieve credibility in society.

Works Cited

Ackerman, Diane. Subjects/Strategies: A Writer’s Reader. Ed. Paul Eschholz and Alfred Rosa. Boston: Bedford St Martin’s, 2002. 496-500.

Dickinson, Amy. “Measuring Up.” Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews – TIME.com. 20 Nov. 2000. 11 Jan. 2009 .

Hall, Stephen S. “THE TROUBLED LIFE OF BOYS; The Bully in the Mirror – New York Times.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 22 Aug. 1999. 14 Jan. 2009 .