Beyond Compare 1 | Page 16

Thesis Subsection 1

There are many ways the media creates unrealistic expectations. The constant exposure to magazines, advertisements, and TV Commercials all glorifying young thin women have caused an increase of self-harm in teenage girls. These media outlets are what caused 16-year-old Meagan Gunnip to become anorexic. The Colorado News displayed that “After seeing endless shots of unrealistically tiny women online, [Meagan] decided she wanted to slim down, fast”. (par 4) Meagan then began to starve herself to achieve this skinny image. Meagan believes “ social media make these images almost impossible to ignore.” (par. 11)

This story is just one of many young women suffering from the effects of media perfection. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Eating disorders frequently occur in people with other mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse issues”(par. 4) Eating disorders are mental illnesses, and can cause serious health problems. Since these disorders start in the mind first we need to change the way people view/think what is cultural perfection to diminish these mental illnesses.