Body Image and Social Influences - Essay for Your Inspiration

Our body image is highly impacted by the external environment. Messages received, and internalized from the surrounding form, and shape the body image. This environment comprises of but not limited to family, media, friends and culture. Perpetual existence of humankind is credited to social life of man. The perception of others in respect to one's body is illustrative of self-worth. It is important to note that outer appearance as internally represented gives a unique way of perceiving one's capability. This paper analyses the impact of social influences on the creation of our body image. During development, a human being undergoes numerous transformation, socially and physically. The external environment has significant influence on a person's image.

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What one perceives about his/her body is synonymous with family influence. The foundation of one's life is laid by parents who are responsible for initial upbringing. The family is responsible for instilling virtues, and assisting the child understand life. Remarks made during formative years in respect to appearance are engrained, and have a long lasting effect. Interestingly, parents who are not proud of their bodies are most likely to influence their kids negatively. In fact, the children are vulnerable to parental feelings. Friends, as well play a major role in determining the body image of a person. The people who are closest to someone are critical and can have a positive or negative impact. Their influence is huge because openness is key in friendships. They will discuss much about their looks and body shapes resulting to influential aspects.

With technology development, social media has ignited a serious image issue. Viewing photos of what is considered ideal body shapes has been detrimental to most people's lives. Comparison is nowadays the order of the day and almost everyone wants to have that ideal appearance. In an attempt to have great body shapes, a person's image is highly affected. The controversy arising from the media is the reality of such ideal figures. Most people grapple with their weights, trying to cut off food portions, ending with worse results instead. Frustrated, they end up losing self-esteem, and damaging their body image. The media has played a big part in increasing the gap between what is attainable and an ideal beauty. These beautiful images create a comparison platform, dictating perceptions about ourselves. The media, globally, depicts successful women as thin. Also, it emphasizes that wealthy men are muscular and fit. Such believes impacts negatively to our lives by self-denial and getting dissatisfied with one's capability. As a result, the lives of those unable to achieve the societal standards deteriorate. In the teenage, peers determine how they view themselves.

Cultural background has a big influence on the body image. The surrounding culture has significant impact on our body image. Through culture, society sets standards for an ideal living. Achieving the set standards is synonymous to most people because it is the guiding principle for an ideal body image. Diverse cultures, however ensure that everyone is dictated upon by unique and specific cultural aspects. The Western culture, for example emphasizes on the appearance of the body through diet.

In a nutshell, there has been a huge social influence on body image. It is factual that body image is easily distorted by various elements, internal and external. Friends play a significant role in determining how one perceives his/her body. Also, media influence, family and culture are influencers of personal perceptions when comparing with the ideal body image. Mental perception of one's image can have detrimental effects when distorted.