The Effect of Media on Adolescents and Their Body Image In society, many adolescents and young women have been scrutinized for their bodies and appearance. The media is one of the main contributors. The media has led to sexualization and body image issues in adolescents and women. Because the media idealizes women as a size 0 miniature with long blonde hair and blue eyes, this leads to a loss of self-esteem. Every girl wants to look like Megan Fox, with her amazing body and good face structure. The reality is that we can't all look like that and that's what women call "winning the genetic lottery." So what about the media changing women's view of themselves and their bodies? Research has shown that as teenagers we tend to watch television and read magazines that contain images that portray what we see as the ideal “woman”. The media portrays women as ultra-thin actresses and models, with this has come an increase in women's concerns about their bodies. As teenagers grow up looking at these images and representations of women, they idolize them as something they want to transform into. “The sexualization of girls and women in the media is a growing concern,” said Emma Stydahar. “It creates a limiting idea of ​​beauty in our society.” (Nackman) We idolize these women who have been continually photographed and made up as if they were dolls. Teenage girls are continually subjected to magazine articles telling them they shouldn't be happy with themselves and to change their appearance. The media has changed the way women are viewed by both women and men. Media is a growing industry of magazines, television and films. The actresses portrayed in these pieces are those of beauty and sexuality. “A 1995 survey of more than 400 Indiana high school students found that the most important thing is… middle of paper… always looking your best. These unhealthy and extremely dangerous actions lead to growing concerns among parents due to media involvement. Many hours of teenagers' lives are spent not in the gym or a fitness center, rather than with friends having fun. Race also plays a role in body image. According to research conducted at an Indiana high school “White girls tend to be more negatively influenced by magazines than black girls, black girls are less likely to compare themselves negatively because mainstream magazines lack ethnic diversity and rarely feature black role models ”. Due to the lack of ethnic role models, ethnic women tend to have better self-esteem than white women. Black women are not targeted in magazines like white women. They therefore tend not to lean towards that of an “ideal” white image”..