Mass Media and Eating DisordersEthnix Team: Myisha McCoy, Dai Tran, Logan Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Luke Beach, Tyler Makovicka, Sontara Barr-PooleEffects of Mass MediaThe Media mass act as an extreme factor of influence in the lives of all members of American society. From physical appearance to diet, the role of media has a lasting impact on American culture. Media is used to relay messages while establishing and promoting increasing trends and standards. Effects of mass media, continued. As a country struggling to gradually achieve a healthy body image, members of society are incredibly demanding of results at an instantaneous pace. Individuals are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the look they prefer, even if it means taking drastic measures. Among them, the development of eating disorders is very common. Is it primarily focused on primary or secondary socialization? The impact of mass media on the development and continuation of eating disorders is considered secondary socialization. Ideas come from public opinion and influences outside the main group, meaning the family's opinions are often ignored due to their level of invalidity. The ideal body image that people want to present to the public eye is very important because society tends to judge on physical appearance first. People suffering from eating disorders, such as anorexia, believe that they constantly need to be thin in order to have a body that is presentable to society. Is there a specific population it is aimed at? Although media are accessible to all participants in a society, some tools used for advertising are clearly aimed at people who identify...... middle of paper ......this agent of socialization today 'today? The effect of media on personal self-perception is a debate that has been discussed at length. While there are definite arguments about whether mass media is purely evil and misleading, the question that should be asked is: Is the media really responsible for these ideologies? Problems and issues, continued. Media is a product of human creation, therefore, it is also a compilation of human ideas. Ideas that come from elite members of society with the aim of persuading non-elites to conform to what the highest level of the hierarchy considers "normal" or even more so, what is "preferred" . If this is true, then the media is merely a reflection of what the dominant forces in society find ideal and/or attractive. Maybe instead of blaming the media for creating these ideas, they are solely responsible for reinforcing these ideas..