MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Abstract: Media literacy is a powerful tool that allows us to understand and critically analyze the complex role that broadcast images, text, and video play in shaping society and individuals. Especially now with our growing technological world, the messages that these platforms convey spread like wildfire. There is one group that seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to portrayal in the media. Despite the significant advances women have we made in society, we are constantly criticized based on our physical appearances rather than our contributions. I can even go further to say women are hypercriticized in the media–down to a pimple, a stretch mark, and even a hair clip. Because of this, there are excessive steps that society has made cover to up these blemishes and pass them off as real (photoshop, airbrush, face/body altering apps). Recently, celebrities have stepped up to combat these false portrayals by exposing themselves in the process. These celebrities are taking a stand so as to not have young girls harm themselves by trying to achieve these unattainable standards of beauty. Media pushes unrealistic standards of beauty and criticizes anyone that does not fit these standards. I will prove this visually and statistically through the platforms of magazines, news articles, and professional sports. I want to start the conversation of how young girls can recognize the media’s faults and empower each other through it. (WC = 235)

Reader’s Profile: I think a reader might wonder how this issue could ever be proven statistically.

This issue is not really like a research question so how is it possible that it can have statistical evidence? I understand that visuals can be powerful, but I am interested to understand how statistical evidence can be used to prove such a subjective issue. In science, it is easy (in some cases) to determine If a certain hypothesis is being supported because the results either show that the protein is either present or not, but when it comes to the issue of media literacy, the lines blur. The lines blur because it is difficult to create a scale/scoring system to go by where a person can definitively say “YES” this women is significantly or mildly being criticized for how she dresses more than a man would be in this case. I’m intrigued to see this evidence…


REVISED THESIS: Media pushes unrealistic standards of beauty and criticizes anyone that does not fit these standards.

Voice: Voice will change by sub document, it will start off in third person. For the discussion at the end, voice will switch to first person.

Citation: by section

P, much of the research you cite will be qualitative in nature and that evidence is also part of this analysis. Does that help you address your difficult reader?

Let's narrow the title and give clues as to the content. Try something in these patterns:

Perfect Pose, Perfect Picture: see what is real and what is staged in social media

Impossibly Pretty: getting "real" about social media images

Behind the Facade: Social media, connecting, and being real