MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 1

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1 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 1 Men and their Body Dissatisfaction: The Effects of Media Grooming Madison Chaney, Claudia Della Polla, Kirstie Gamboa, Alexa Rosas Texas Tech University

2 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 2 The media influences today s generation by consistently being present in society. People are influenced through many kinds of media outlets such as television, advertisements and social media. Women often times are recognized more for the way the media influences their body image. What many do not realize is men are just as affected by media s influence as women. Social grooming is where the media impacts the way society feels one should dress, act and appear. If one does not form to the ideal of the perfect body image, then they are forced to feel dissatisfaction within themselves. Men feel that they need to have a particular body image due to social grooming. The effects of media grooming gives men an unrealistic perception of society s ideal male physique and has led to an increase in body dissatisfaction through different social uses. In the article by S.H. Sohn, (2009), the author discusses the effect of how the media develops a specific body image that people should have. People today now believe that if you do not have the figure of the people in the pictures then you are fat (Sohn, 2009). What many do not know is that those pictures posted online and on magazines are not completely real. Many of them are cropped and retouched to make them purposefully look a specific way (Sohn, 2009). The public compares themselves and their surroundings to the images the media posts without realizing that is what is happening according to the social comparison theory (Sohn, 2009, p. 21). It was noted that social comparison can be avoided as long as individuals do not actually endorse the ideal body image that is often found in the media (Sohn, 2009, p. 22). A survey research study was conducted where researchers compared the similarities and differences between men and women, and their take on social comparison (Sohn, 2009). One of the questions asked was is the social comparison process the same for both men and women so that it will

3 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 3 result in an increased body perceptual gap among men and women? (Sohn, 2009, p. 22). Another question conducted later in the study was is the social comparison process the same for both men and women so that it will result in a negative body satisfaction among men and women? (Sohn, 2009, p. 29). These questions that were asked during the study helped determine how men are affected by media grooming. Research participants at a large University in the United States were asked to answer questions anonymously about social comparison (Sohn, 2009). Of the 134 participants, 45 we male and 89 were female (Sohn, 2009). With the first question asked, it was found that more frequent engagement of social comparison would in fact predict a larger perceptual gap among men (Sohn, 2009, p. 28). When the second question was asked, it turns out at this University only 14.2% of men s negative body satisfaction was affected by television and magazines (Sohn, 2009, p. 28). Research also found that the participants felt they would be more confident if they had the figure they desired (Sohn, 2009). The results found that in male participants, social comparison to television characters diminishes their body perceptual gap, whereas social comparison to magazine models actually enlarges the body perceptual gap (Sohn, 2009, p. 31). This research shows what type of social grooming affects men the most. The article by C.L. Hobza, K.E. Walker, O. Yakushko and J.L. Peugh (2007), discusses how advertisements can be a form of social grooming. There have been many studies done on the effects of grooming in women s body image, but what about men? (Hobza, Walker, Yakushko, Peku 2007). In the last few years research has indicated that the ideal male body physique has changed greatly over the last few decades; this is partly due to the vast technology that we have in our world today (Hobza et al., 2007).

4 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 4 Generally most people are exposed to thousands of advertisements daily, giving us an unrealistic view on how male bodies are supposed to look (Hobza et al., 2007). The typical man in these advertisements is often portrayed as muscular, attractive, and wealthy giving both younger and older adult males a false illusion on how males should look and be perceived (Hobza et al., 2007). The negative effect the media has on males is leading them towards social comparison; males are comparing themselves to individuals who they perceive as smarter or better looking than themselves causing depression or body dysmorphia (Hobza et al., 2007). A study was conducted to investigate the effects that media images have on body esteem and self esteem. According to Franzoi Shields (1984), body esteem is an important dimension of general self-esteem that is comprised of solely of feels about one's body. Self-esteem is more general measure of feelings about oneself that, depending on the scale used to measure it, may or may not include appearance-related items (Hobza et al., 2007, p.161). The hypotheses that Hobza concluded was: participants exposed to physical images will have lower self-esteem than participants exposed to image-neutral conditions, and the participants exposed to resource-image will report lower levels of self- esteem than participants exposed to the image-neutral condition (Hobza et al., 2007, p. 164). The results show that the hypothesis was inconclusive and the participants had lower body and self-esteem (Hobza et. al, 2007, p.165). Based on the results that were found, it is possible that ideal physical images in the media might only affect men in a negative way, perpetually leading to unhealthy lifestyles.

5 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 5 J. W. Kim and T. M. Chock (2015) collaborate in an article discussing how social media is a particular form of media all together. It differs from all other traditional forms of media due to the fact that it s quite interactive since users network with one another. It is safe to assume that this kind of social grooming is strongly related to body image concerns (Kim & Chock, 2015). Media content as a whole is a dominant socio-cultural influence in regards to people s body images (Kim & Chock, 2015). Several studies have found that social media overall exposure is an important factor in regards to body image concerns, and even more so than this, actively engaging in social media affects people differently from exposure to mass media in general (Kim & Chock, 2015). The main factor determining why people are unhappy with their own image is what Kim & Chock refer in their article as upward social comparison, a social comparison theory which explains that individuals are predisposed to compare themselves to other people who are perceived to better off (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 332). This, therefore, explains the relationship between media exposure and body image (Kim & Chock, 2015). Another factor to consider when analyzing social grooming and body image concerns is each person s self-presentation. Several studies have found that social media users (both female and male) enhance their physical attractiveness by selectively posting profile photographs and digitally retouching the photographic images on their online profiles and eliminating undesirable or unflattering photos from their social media (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 333). Also, because of the interactive qualities of social media, people feel pressured to create desirable impressions of themselves (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 333). Ultimately, the

6 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 6 interactive features of social media allow users to modify their physical image but also increases the pressure to do so (Kim & Chock, 2015). Social grooming is the process of forging and displaying bonds, affirming relationships, and asserting and learning about hierarchies and alliances which in social media is characterized by actively commenting, browsing, leaving messages, etc., on other people s profiles (Kim & Chock, 2015, p.333). Due to the fact that the main activity performed in social media is to connect with others, social grooming is the essence of these social media (Kim & Chock, 2015). In regards to male body image, there hasn t been substantial research; some studies have found that males, similarly to females, have reported poor self-image and low satisfaction with their current bodies which in turn suggest that male are just as pressured as females to yield to social standards of the ideal body (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 333). Most of these ideals are thought to be around the idea of a muscular body, which in turn transforms into a drive for muscularity characterized by any behavior meant to increase muscle mass (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 333). However, ideal male body perception can be quite intricate; even though males tend to exhibit the drive for muscularity, they can also posses the drive for thinness just as females (Kim & Chock, 2015). The results in Kim & Chock s study revealed that even though males do engage in activities to promote their drive for muscularity in higher numbers than females; when surveyed, males also presented a drive for thinness while engaging in Facebook social grooming behaviors, even more so than for muscularity (Kim & Chock, 2015). Ultimately, Kim & Chock determined that social grooming behaviors are present in both females and males in equal measures, and are both positively associated with a greater

7 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 7 drive for thinness as well as appearance comparison (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 336). These correlations suggest that both females and males can experience higher levels of weight concerns due to social media (Kim & Chock, 2015, p. 337). An article by D. Hargraves and M. Tiggemann (2009), shows how men believe their body should appear. Presently, the ideal male body image is highly muscular, yet very lean. Men are depicted as tall, with broad shoulders and a defined chest, which is followed by a narrowing torso and hips (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). As is typical in women, due to their tendency to compare themselves to media idealized subjects, there is a suggestion that men face the same struggles with body image when they are constantly bombarded with men that are dubbed as excellent by the media (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). To test this link between media content and the male body dissatisfaction, as well as to understand the psychological processes that have an effect on increased body dissatisfaction, the researchers performed a study of 104 males, whose ages ranged from 18 to 35 (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). In this study, some men were shown media perfect images and the others were not (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). In the study, the men were asked these questions: how much they (1) thought about the qualities of the commercials (e.g., humor, originality); (2) thought about the effectiveness of the commercials; (3) thought about the attractiveness of the people in the commercials; (4) compared their own appearance to the actors in the commercials; and (5) wanted to be like the actors in the commercials (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009, p. 112). As a result, it was found that the commercialized images did in fact lead to a greater body dissatisfaction among men, but did not lead to self consciousness when it came to actual

8 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 8 weight and strength; thus, suggesting an interest in appearance that puts psychological well-being at risk (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). Due to the media s constant and varied influence in today s society, there is an ideal body image presented to men. Even though the women are more recognized for their insecurities with their body image, men are just as susceptible to social grooming leading them to dissatisfaction with themselves. Social comparison forces our culture to judge themselves based off what the media s image of the perfect man and his ideal body image without their knowledge of doing so (Sohn, 2009). Physical images in the media affect men s daily lives perpetually leading men to an unhealthy lifestyle (Hobza, 2007). Due to social media s interactive nature people display social grooming and comparison behaviors, engaging in a drive for muscularity as well as thinness in order to display the best version of themselves creating body image concerns in men (Kim & Chock, 2015). Men have higher body dissatisfaction when it comes to thinness and muscularity but does not directly affect their confidence concerning strength and weight (Hargreaves & Marika, 2009). Ultimately, men are affected by social grooming and the media s negative perception of the perfect male physique.

9 MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTION 9 References Hargraves, D., & Tiggemann, M. (2009). Muscular ideal media images and men s body image: Social comparison processing and individual vulnerability. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 10(2), Hobza, C. L., Walker, K. E., Yakushko, O., & Peugh, J. L. (2007). What about men? Social comparison and the effects of media images on body and self-esteem. Psychology Of Men & Masculinity, 8(3), Kim, J. W., & Chock, T. M. (2015). Body image 2.0: Associations between social grooming on Facebook and body image concerns. Computers In Human Behavior, 48, Sohn, S.H. (2009). Body image: Impacts of media channels on men s and women s social comparison process, and testing of involvement measurement. Atlantic Journal Of Communication, 17(1),