Media influences on the female self-concept

Through media, both men and women have been given the idea that women cannot be considered leaders in our society and excel in leadership positions. Countless years of stereotyping have placed women below men on a hierarchy scale of power. Men have been expected to play the roles of workers and leaders whereas women are more likely to be seen as housewives and mothers. The underrepresentation of women in power in the media have eliminated beliefs that women could play a significant role in leading our society. The stereotypes and media have given women the idea that they lack power, therefore motivation to aspire to gain power and respect has been hindered. With the growing awareness of these issues and the help of organizations such as Miss Representation, the gaps in gender differences will continue to shrink.

When first receiving information about an individual, it is not uncommon, in people of all cultures, to form an impression based on that information. These impressions are often formed based on stereotypes, commonly defined as a set of generalized beliefs and expectations about a particular group and its members . Stereotypes exist for just about every type of person or group; whether it be based on race, gender, skills, hobbies, or lifestyles, people make attributions with information based on what is assumed and/or expected. Although people may be aware of the stereotypes, not everyone believes in them.

Gender stereotypes, more specifically defined as networks or related beliefs that reflect the “common wisdom” about women and men, have been studied for over 50 years . When people consider the differences between males and females, attributes such as physical appearance, personality, and behaviors often come to mind first. Gender stereotypes begin before birth, at the time the sex of the baby is determined. When parents find out they are having a baby girl, it is common for them to create a “girly” room, painted pink or purple with flowers and teddy bears. Although they may be unaware, parents are following the stereotype, teaching their daughter to dress and act like a lady. There numbers of stereotypes placed upon both men and women, such as men love sports, and women are good cooks. Most stereotypes have some truth to them, being the reason they were created, but there are always exceptions. Common stereotypes towards women are that they are bad drivers, weaker than men, and they should cook, clean, and raise children. Although many understand the concept of stereotypes and are aware that not all are true, when a stereotype is present often, people may start to believe the related attributes are true and are an expression of their self-concept. Stereotypes can act as motivation for behavior; women are viewed as feminine and will strive to live up to those expectations. When a stereotype is negative, they may develop a fear of confirming that stereotype, and as a result hindering their performance.

Stereotypes lead to the way that women and men are depicted in mass media, such as television, movies, magazines, video games, the internet, and others. Men represent most of the media population and make up the majority percentage of newspaper reporters, photographers, sports anchors, and radio news . Not only are women underrepresented in the media workforce, but, according to the Media and Gender Monitor, only 24% of news stories were reported about women in 2011 . When women are in the attention of the media, they are often perceived as highly sexualized and almost flawless. Women are shown in health and beauty ads as thin, beautiful, and confident. When girls and women feel they cannot look like these advertised women, their sense of self-worth is diminished. Many researchers have studied the link between body image and overall self-esteem and most have found that women are more strongly invested in their physical appearance and are more dissatisfied with their bodies than men are .  Women are judged on their appearance more than anything, so when they do not meet the representation of what the media considers “beautiful”, they are negatively affected. This idea of social comparison causes women to feel bad about their own appearance; they feel as if their own body is not good enough compared to women in the media. Although women are slowly becoming more recognized by the media, when they are, they often reflect a common stereotype.

Many people see the media as factual information, either confirming or altering stereotypes. With advances in technology and media, it has almost become difficult to decipher between reality and fantasy images of women. This has made it difficult for women to succeed and dominate in professions because they are mainly viewed as hypersexualized, whereas men are displayed to be strong and competent. Mass media has evolved significantly over the last decade. In one day, on average, the American teenager spends 10 hours and 45 minutes engaging in the media (i.e. the Internet, music, television, magazines, movies) . The exposure to many different sources of media and images of women increases the negative feelings girls and women feel when they do not look like these images.

MissRepresentation.org is a non-profit media organization aimed to transform peoples ideas and beliefs so that everyone, regardless of gender, can aim to reach their full potential. Miss Representation is documentary film showing how women are underrepresented in the media and difficulties women have with obtaining powerful positions. Although women make up 51% of the population, Congress only consists of 17% women. This organization has developed a curriculum informing hundreds of schools, both boy and girl students, the effects media has on women and girls. “MissRepresentation.org believes that all people should be equally represented in our media, that our voices should be heard and that we should all be valued for our talents, capacity as leaders, and ability to contribute to the world at large .”

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Miss Representation ." *Miss Representation* . N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. <http://www.missrepresentation.org/#>.
2. ↑ Feldman, R. S. (2009). *Understanding Psychology*. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Crawford, M. (2012). *Transformations: Women, Gender & Psychology.* New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4. ↑ http://wmc.3cdn.net/a6b2dc282c824e903a\_arm6b0hk8.pdf
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Azad, Sifat. "Are Women in the Media Only Portrayed As Sex Icons? Statistics Show a Massive Gender Imbalance Across Industries." *PolicyMic*. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. <http://www.policymic.com/articles/4439/are-women-in-the-media-only-portrayed-as-sex-icons-statistics-show-a-massive-gender-imbalance-across-industries>.