Portrayal of Women in the Media
Survey Results
23 females 14 males
10 females are 14, 2 females are 15, 7 females are 16, 4 females that are 17, 1 female is 40
0 males are 17, 3 males are 18, 1 male is 47
3} Do you at some point in your day watch TV, go on the internet, look
at books/magazines?
5 females said sometimes, 9 said always
1 male said never, 3 said sometimes, 10 said always
4} Do you think women are portrayed sexually in the media? (TV, internet
in magazines)
10 females said they strongly agree, 10 said they agree, 4 were neutral
4 males said they strongly agree, 4 said they agreed, 5 were neutral, 1 strongly disagreed
5} Why do you think they are portrayed this way?
16 females said because it attracts viewers and because women are
“attractive”, 3 said they don't know, 5 said because it sells and makes
people buy products
7 males said to make money through advertising, 4 didn't know, 3 said because of modern age sexism
6} Do you think it is okay that they are portrayed this way? Why or why
not?
19 females said it's not okay, 2 said it was fine, 2 didn't answer, 1 said if they want to
6 males said it's not okay, 6 think it is okay, 2 didn't answer
7} What effect do you think this issue is having on young women in
our society today?
20 females said negative, 2 said positive, 2 said no affect
5 males said negative, 7 said no affect, 2 said positive affect
8} Is objectifying women in advertisements a good way to sell and
promote a product? Why or why not?
15 females said no, 4 said yes, 4 said if they want to sell
products, 2 didn't know
4 males said it's not okay, 5 said it is okay, 5 didn't understand the question
9} Why do you think the media objectifies and sexually portrays
women to sell products?
10 females said to attract male buyers, 6 said it makes money, 7 did not answer
1 male said because of our cultural beauty standards, 1 said ‘if you buy this you can look
like me’, 7 said to make profit, 5 didn't understand the question.
10} Have you ever been objectified or had a personal experience with
this issue?
12 females said yes, 9 said no, 2 didn't answer
6 males said yes, 8 said no
By Jahnaya Flynn
Objectification of
teenage girls in social media
What is objectification of girls in the media?
Objectification is the treating of another human being,
not like a human but an object to use. This is a problem we see far too much in
everyday media, especially Facebook and Instagram. From advertising in products
to comments on personal photos, you will see the sexualisation of girls in everyday life. The media has shone a spotlight on this as it is much easier to comment grotesque things on other people's online life than to say the same things in person.
Teenage girls everyday are getting stalked, commented on and sexualised by older men and strangers on the
Internet. This can affect their self-esteem, the way they see themselves and
the way they see men. The way girls’ bodies are treated in advertising, videos,
comment sections etc can be horrible for their self-esteem, and ultimately lead to eating
disorders or strange perceptions of how their body looks.
We interviewed a variety of
teenage girls on objectification in the media, and how it affects them. After analysing the male and female surveys, messages sent from boys of my age group,
and the interviews we did on the demographic, we have been able to conclude
that this is a big issue. Objectification of teenage girls in social media is growing to be a
great feminist issue of our generation, and will continue for generations to
go. Unless we take a stand. Women and men alike need to stand together against
sexism as allies, instead of as enemies.
What we noticed in some of the boys’ surveys, was the boys did not feel
like objectification was an issue for women, but related to the feeling of
objectification, many saying they experienced it themselves. We found this point of view very interesting but also slightly uninformed,
feeling like they did not understand the full issue of the subject at hand.
The female surveys proved this, many saying they experience
objectification on the daily basis, online and offline. If we want this issue
to stop, adults must educate both sexes on the effects of objectification in
the media.
To understand something, you need enlightenment on the subject, so I say
if we enlighten our generation on this issue, we can put an end to online
sexism.
By Darcy Shaw
