The Power of Reflection Syd Johnsen
The Power of Reflection: A Teen’s Perspective on Body Image
Syd Johnsen
The Power of Reflection: A Teen’s Perspective on Body Image
Syd Johnsen 1
Dedication I would like to dedicate this book to teenagers who are struggling with a negative body image perception.
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Acknowledgements I’d like to thank my Freestyle Academy teachers for helping me in various ways with the production process. I would also like to thank my main interviewees, Erica Bent, Chelsea Rutledge, and Cynthia Yee for helping me gather more insight to my topic. Special thanks to the girls that participated in my photoshoot, and Samantha Johnsen for editing and giving me feedback for my paper.
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9-Preface 6
11-Introduction
12-Chapter 1
18-Chapter 2
20-Chapter 3
24-Chapter 4
26-Conclusion
28-Works Cited 7
Preface The Freestyle Junior Documentary has been the hardest, yet most fulfilling project I’ve completed. After hearing many voices, both teachers and students telling me it would be stressful, I had to mentally prepare for the upcoming months. On top of this, I wanted to make certain the topic I chose to spend my time on was important to me. After brainstorming several different topic ideas, I came to the consensus that writing and graphic designing a book on body image perception in teens had the potential to be really powerful. This topic has allowed me to be really creative with both the design elements as well as the interview sourcing and writing. Throughout this book, my goal was not only to find the source of these negative body image perceptions in teenagers specifically, but how they can affect us long term and if there are ways to reverse the damage done. Throughout high school, I’ve been surrounded by my peers and have had the opportunity to observe a huge trend in body image mentality. This body image mindset consists of teens feeling the need to look perfect, to have an ‘ideal’ body whatever that is and to feel accepted by their peers, parents and other influencers. From personal experience, I have learned that it is easier said than done to be confident in your own body and to not compare yourself to others. As I went through the process of researching and writing my book, I prepared some goals. I wanted to identify the body image influences teens deal with on a daily basis and also wanted to recognize the potential harm done by them over time. Recognizing the harmful effects of negative body image was necessary, but even more importantly, I wanted to express the imperativeness of learning how to love yourself and your body and upholding a positive self-image.
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Introduction Through a variety of social, cultural and familial experiences, humans have evolved into a very perceptive and observant species, especially when it comes to physical qualities and appearance. Although there is tremendous beauty one could admire about the natural human form, much of these observations have led to a focus on imperfection instead. Imperfection, not only in others, but physical imperfection in one’s self. During our teenage years, we tend to focus on everything we want to change about our bodies and appearance, but hardly ever take time to notice how perfectly unique each and every one of our bodies is. As teens, we are constantly holding ourselves up to unrealistic societal standards which in turn makes it very difficult to be content with our own appearance and can also shatter our self-confidence. What we don’t seem to think about is ‘Who is creating the body image standards we develop perceptions about in the first place and what can we do to change them?’. On a daily basis, we are bombarded by images through social media and advertising that tell a story of perfection. Flawless models shown as the visual definition of beautiful and the promotion of products that promise to make us more attractive. In addition to the media, we are also easily influenced by those around us including our peers, parents, family members and educators. The messages about body image can often be confusing and are not always directly intended, but regardless we must try and make sense of them. We must try to form our own idea of what a healthy body means for us, individually. To do this with greater success, teens need to remain positive and root themselves in self-confidence and love. A healthy body image can not only lead to good physical and mental health later in life, but can empower teens to go on and influence future generations.
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Chapter One “We learn through modeling, so what we see in our environment, we often pick up” -Erica Bent
Research has shown that as early as the age of 18 months, we begin to see ourselves in the mirror and start to recognize our reflection. As we grow older into the toddler stage, we are able to start distinguishing our individual attributes and overall physical appearance. Maturing into children, pre-teens, teens, and then adults, we develop a certain consciousness about our bodies and appearance that can often lead to comparison with others and self-judgement. Erika Bent, a psychotherapist at The Healthy Teen Project, an eating disorder clinic located in Los Altos, California, works closely with teens and young adults, ages 12 to 22, who have developed some type of eating disorder. The program’s goal is to use their multidisciplinary approach to help teens through their journey to recovery and to promote a healthy body image. Bent explains, “definitely around middle school there are many different things that are going on developmentally. We develop a little bit more self-awareness...and when you develop more executive functioning you start to think about yourself in the context of other people in your environment...we’re also exposed to the understanding of body image” (Bent). At a very young age, we begin to understand societal expectations and how we compare to others when it comes to physical appearance. It is a well-established fact that as children grow up, they form more of an awareness about how they look and start to care about the opinions of others. Age, however, is only one of the many variables that ignites these realizations. Throughout childhood, we are also significantly impacted by the environment we live in and the people that surround us. Through the experience of working with many different teens and their families, Bent discovered that “someone who’s living in an environment where their mother is a yo-yo dieter might indirectly internalize 12
the message that ‘I need to be focused on my body’. Whether it’s positive or negative, there’s more emphasis put on that. Versus someone who lives in an environment where their parents have an all foods fit philosophy and don’t diet at all. That represents a very different kind of value system around food and body image” (Bent). Learning this, Bent has come to realize that parents play one of the most pivotal roles in shaping their child’s body image. Whether they realize it or not, the way they express their feelings about their own bodies and their observations or judgements of other people, can greatly shape the development of their children’s ideals. Cynthia Yee, a Senior at Los Altos High School, and Chelsea Rutledge, a Junior at Mountain View High School, both comment on how they’ve been influenced by their parents. Yee discussed the topic of wearing makeup in high school. She noted that the majority of girls at Los Altos High wear makeup on a daily basis and that this is contrary to what she observed while growing up. “The women in my family don’t really wear makeup, so I never got into it,” Yee said, talking about the influence of her relatives. Growing up in an environment surrounded by women comfortable with a bare face and in their own skin, Yee was never taught she needed makeup to be beautiful. Over the course of her career, Bent has discovered this as a learned behavior as well: “We learn through modeling, so what we see in our environment, we often pick up. That’s why a lot of children have the same set of values as their parents” (Bent). Although Yee might not have been 13
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conscious of the impact women in her family were having
of them. Rutledge mentioned, “I think what influences
on her at the time, they ended up helping shape her ideals
people to change themselves is they see what they could
as a young woman today. Similarly, teenage boys are most
look like from other people or they see their friends. I think
often found to “attempt to balance the traditional masculine
[negative body image messages] definitely occur during high
values of their fathers such as physical toughness, reluctance
school, when there are so many girls that you want to be
to discuss problems and adherence to traditional gender
like.” Throughout these crucial school-age years, everyone
roles in the household with conflicting cultural messages”
is at a different developmental stage with their bodies.
(Scott). With some exceptions, most studies have found that
Although some may share similar physical characteristics,
boys typically wish they had muscular bodies and girls feel
every person is born with a different genetic code and has
the need to be skinner. Chelsea Rutledge, from Mountain
their own unique appearance. It has been shown that “As
View High, has adopted some of her parents’ ideals as well.
puberty nears, children become increasingly focused on
She says, “My parents exercise everyday and have always
the appearance of their bodies. An adolescent may mature
eaten really healthy. Being surrounded by that has made me
too quickly, too slowly, in a way that is unattractive, or in
feel like I should strive to do the same” (Rutledge). Growing
ways that make the adolescent stand out in the crowd. Any
up watching her parents work to stay as healthy as possible
deviation from the ideal [body] can result in a negative
in order to achieve their ideal bodies, Rutledge developed
body image” (Scott). Unfortunately, being subjected to
a similar lifestyle approach. She attends the gym on a
daily doses of peer influence and social comparisons
consistent basis and participates on a competitive dance
makes negative body image perceptions hard to resist.
team. Both Rutledge and Yee made it even more apparent
Another field of interest that can heavily contribute to
how parents can have an impact on the development of their
a child’s discernment of body image is social media and
children’s values, especially when it comes to body image.
advertisements. A research study conducted through
Parents are not the only role models for children to
Virginia Commonwealth University showed “Thematic
look up to and emulate, however. Their peers, whom they
analysis identified patterns in the data. In this sample,
are surrounded by all day in school, have an extremely
social media use was high. Girls endorsed some appearance
influential role when it comes to body image expectation.
concerns and social comparison” (“Findings on Body Image
In particular for teens, there are pressures and social
Research”). As the study shows, for both boys and girls, the
comparisons made on a regular basis that can create anxiety
use of social media can be dangerous if interpreted in a way
about how one looks and about what others are thinking
of comparison. “When I first see it, it’s kind of intimidating
Previous Page: Erica Bent
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and I want to look just like them. But then I have to realize that they’re putting their best self out there, and I am probably comparing it to my worst self. I just have to remember that that’s not how they really look in real life. It’s just what they portray on social media,” Rutledge stated, talking about how she feels while looking at models shown in the media and advertisements. Although Chelsea seems to have a healthy way of analyzing these idealistic bodies in the media, some teens fall into a trap of selfdoubt and discouragement. Another survey, overseen by the Advertising Women of New York, produced data that “75% of the girls surveyed felt insulted by advertisements that implied that women care only about their looks. In the same survey, 55% of the teenage girls said they see ads “all the time” that make them want to go on a diet, and 64% of the girls felt there was too much sexual imagery in the ads” (Scott). It has been statistically proven that females are more sexualized and objectified in the media than men, and feel that way as well. But, that doesn’t mean this Chelsea Rutledge
isn’t somewhat of a problem for males too. According to research published by Mt. Sinai Hospital, “media imagery is internalized by some gay men and [some] internalizations harmfully impact their body image” (“Investigators from Mt. Sinai”). Gender aside, having access to social media can create negative body image perception, which can in turn lead to changes in one’s physical, mental and emotional health.
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Cynthia Yee
“55% of the teenage girls said they see ads ‘all the time’ that make them want to go on a diet” -Advertising Women of New York
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Chapter 2 “You feel the need or the pressure from the outside world to change how you look and how you think.” -Chelsea Rutledge
Now that we’ve discovered some of the most prominent influencers of negative body image perceptions, we can
explore potential outcomes. In order to not feel, look, or act different than others, people tend to follow what we call ‘trends’. “The changes in actions that people would not otherwise make were it not for feelings about their body are called behavioral body image” (Scott). It is human instinct to follow the behaviors of our peers and acquaintances. This is led by the desire to be more like them or to fit in. “If an individual thinks that he or she is overweight, regardless of the factual accuracy, that person might choose to change eating habits or dress differently to fit what feels appropriate” (Scott). With an intention to fit in, some may find that they choose to dress a certain way or make themselves look the way ‘society’ deems acceptable versus authentically expressing their style and presenting their own look. I definitely think you need to change the way you look when you go to school because why else do we wake up an hour early just to get ready. I think that in schools around here there is an expectation to put makeup on, look cute in order to get compliments, like ‘oh your shirt is so cute’, or ‘oh your outfit is so cute today’. I think that is what motivates people to get ready and try to look good for school because they know other people are looking at them and judging them based on what they’re wearing. You feel the need or the pressure from the outside world to change how you look and how you think. (Rutledge)
As Chelsea said, people are often motivated to look nicer when they know they will be amongst peers. Although
the compliments might feel encouraging in the moment, the pressure of pulling it off can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. The makeup and beauty industry thrives off of targeting these insecurities in women. The industry’s underlying message is simple: ‘you are not good enough’. But, what does ‘good enough’ mean? Through advertisements, the beauty industry uses abnormally gorgeous women to model their products, making them the image of an ‘ideal’ 18
appearance. Seeing models with flawless skin, perfect hair, bodies, etc., often times convinces the girls viewing the ads that they need to look prettier than their natural appearance. “People’s bodies are edited in ways that create ‘perfect’ bodies that are unobtainable. People who feel they need to compare themselves to persons they see in media can experience deep psychological and physical harm” (Scott). Dieting is another potentially harmful form of trying to heal a negative, psychological perception of one’s body. By dieting, most people hope they will achieve their version of the ‘ideal’ body. Although some dieting can be done in a healthy way, if not careful, it can also lead to the beginning of an eating disorder. An increase of body consciousness leads to “a movement toward defining one’s self-worth as dependent upon attaining an unattainable physical ideal” (Scott). Feeling the pressure to attain ‘an unattainable physical ideal’ can result in excessive dieting, also seen as purposeful starvation or binge-eating. Teens that frequently diet can often become depressed or anxious, and as mentioned, dieting can easily escalate into an eating disorder as well. According to The Healthy Teen Project, “most eating disorders begin with either accidental or purposeful weight loss that can lead to unhealthy measures to sustain the loss”. They go on to say, “Teenagers are often vulnerable to societal pressures and can often feel insecure and self-conscious, which are factors that increase the risk of engaging in extreme dieting behavior.” Treatment of these issues can take years and even with recovery, it can mean a life-long struggle with body image perception. There are a number of factors from the outside that can drive us into thinking we need to change the way we look. Whether it is the pressure we feel to fit in or the imagery of the perfect body, our minds constantly play with ideas of how to reach society’s standards. As we are battered with images from the media, it is extremely important to recognize the potential outcomes of chasing these ideals. 19
Chapter 3 ‘My Imperfections Make the Perfect Me’
- American Eagle Outfitters, the ‘I’mperfect’ Campaign
Over the last decade, negative body image perception has increased in relation to the immense objectification of women
in the media and has instilled the notion of perfection into female teens’ minds. As teenagers spend gross amounts of time on social media, they are exposing themselves to endless images of society’s ideals and also encountering judgement and social comparison through pictures and words. This has lead to an upsurge in the diagnoses of eating disorders in teens specifically, as well as the demand for beauty products that are advertised full of promises. In an effort to redirect society’s idea of the perfect body, there are many strong programs being created out of a passionate movement to promote a ‘healthy’ body versus an unrealistic, ‘ideal’ one.
The Health at Every Size, also known as HAES, is a movement with the goal of promoting ideas of self-love and
acceptance of body image. They work as advocates for body diversity—encouraging people to embrace their bodies while putting size, age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion aside. HAES inspires people to implement healthy behaviors such as working out and eating a balanced diet. Their end goal is to help people strive for the most wholesome possible version of their bodies they can achieve.
The therapists at The Healthy Teen Project have similar goals. Their program was originally created in response to
the high demand of area residents who were seeking treatment for eating disorders over the past decade. Recognizing each client is unique, the program utilizes a team of professionals to provide an individualized treatment plan for each patient. The team consists of therapists, dietitians, psychiatrists, and adolescent eating disorder specialists. Through a multidisciplinary approach, they try to understand the underlying issues of the eating disorder and then help their clients find new ways of healthy living. This not only means recovery and a more positive body image, but also nutritional health and ways to support stronger relationships with peers and family. 20
In addition to The Healthy Teen Project, there are also some leading retail companies promoting the diversity of the female body and demonstrating a new acceptance of the natural woman through their product advertisements. Using more ordinary models, both Dove and American Eagle Outfitters, are two of the many beauty and clothing-based companies striving to make change. Both companies enlist models that appear to represent a more realistic variety of the female body, displaying a range of normal body types. In addition, Dove uses women with little to no makeup, encouraging natural beauty and being comfortable in your own skin. Their mission is “to ensure the next generation grow up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look–helping girls to raise their self-esteem and realize their full potential”. American Eagle Outfitters has a similar message they try to promote. In 2014, they launched a campaign entitled ‘I’mperfect’ with the tagline ‘My Imperfections Make the Perfect Me’. The manifesto started with “We believe it’s time to flip the script. One size doesn’t fit all. Never has. Surely Above: Arie ‘I’mperfect’ Campaign Image
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99% of us is a better measure of perfection than the 1%.” The ‘I’mperfect’ campaign kickstarted others that followed including the Aerie Real campaign that pledged the company was going to discontinue using supermodels and digitally retouching it’s models to encourage positive selfimage as well as their current campaign of Aerie Real Role Models which includes well-known female activists, athletes, authors and actresses– supporting the belief that ‘the more we share our power, the stronger we become’. The media can be a helpful tool in the fight to reverse the perfect ideals some companies have embedded in their past and current advertisements. These types of campaigns from Dove and American Eagle Outfitters are excellent examples of positive change in the industry.
Unfortunately, there are still many companies
out there with the opposite approach. For example, Abercrombie and Fitch and Brandy Melville are teen-centric clothing stores that limit their customers by using a ‘one size fits all’ mentality. Abercrombie and Fitch has a history of targeting a very exclusive population of teens, selling to the young and ‘cool’ all-American kid who looks like the thin model ideal. The company also has a policy of not stocking XL or XXL clothing sizes. Brandy Melville doesn’t have to worry about size labeling because they only offer one. It literally is ‘one size fits all’ there. Their definition of ‘one size fits all’ is up for debate, however. Most of their clothing seems to match the thin model ideal like Abercrombie, sending a very conflicting and negative message to those who don’t fit in them at all. 22
Above: The Healthy Teen Project ‘Self Care’ Chalkboard
The promotion of positive body image is slowly becoming an important goal for more and more retail companies as they begin to understand the benefits. Sending a message of acceptance becomes something they can stand for as a company.
Although it will take time for these new trends to fully develop, there has definitely been a shift in the way companies
choose to advertise to women, in particular. As more companies begin to change their ways, society’s idea of the perfect body will hopefully change with them. Social media can be used as a tool to help–a tool for good. Companies can try and reverse some of the damage done by spreading new messages of self-confidence and acceptance. This, in turn, will directly help the issue of negative teen body image.
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Chapter 4
“Part of developing a healthy relationship with body image is understanding where your body is supposed to lie.” -Erica Bent
A healthy body image is learned. Beginning in childhood, we learn The Dove campaign, ‘Real Beauty’, was an experiment
about perceived beauty that was based on the notion that more than half of women around the world view themselves and the way they look less positively than they should. It emphasized the importance of recognizing one’s own natural beauty and inspired millions of women around the world by presenting their findings through a film. Dove’s experiment called ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ was conducted with a diverse group of women and enlisted the help of an FBI forensic sketch artist. The women were asked to describe themselves to the artist who then drew sketches of them. Afterwards, strangers were then asked to describe the same women to the artist. The portraits for each woman were very different showing that the strangers’ perspectives led to more beautiful and authentic drawings of the women and proving that we are more attractive than we think. The Dove film on ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ has been watched almost 180 million times and is an impressive example of how companies can use the media for good. By shedding light on this common struggle for women, Dove inspired women to be less critical of themselves. Bent explains, “As humans, we’re all supposed to be different sizes and shapes based on our ancestry, our genetics, our biology, and our environment,.. there’s so many factors that go into it. But you and I were not meant to have the same body that meets the thin ideal. So part of developing a healthy relationship with body image is understanding where your body is supposed to lie.” In other words, being able to accept and embrace your differences can ultimately help you become more confident in the body that belongs to you. As a teenager, we often compare ourselves to others and tend to want what we don’t have. Bent continues, “There are a lot of negative messages out there and there’s always going to be an ideal that we don’t necessarily fit into. We’re not meant to be put into boxes, but if we can all learn to treat ourselves with self-compassion and understand we are all we have in this world, eventually I think a lot of the issues that lead to body image 24
dissatisfaction in the first place will become resolved. Ultimately, it’s not about the body. It’s so much deeper than that. It’s really about your relationship with yourself.” As young adults in the age of social media, it is up to us to ignore the negative messages or ideals society and other influencers project at us. Creating a healthy relationship with our bodies and learning to love our imperfections is what’s most important to maintain a happy mindset.
Above: Dove Campaign: Real Beauty Sketches
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Conclusion A healthy body image is learned. Beginning in childhood, we develop awareness and feelings about our bodies through social comparison, the environment in which we live, and the role models that surround us, both literally and in the media. As noted from the personal stories of Cynthia Yee and Chelsea Rutledge, both high school students, developing confidence and acceptance for our bodies is hard, specifically for teenagers, because they are surrounded with daily images of what society deems as the ideal body and are heavily influenced by their peers. Erika Bent, from The Healthy Teen Project, confirmed that many teenagers develop unrealistic standards for their appearance which can lead to issues with their physical and mental health such as eating disorders and negative body image. Slowly, society is taking notice. Parents, peers, companies, those in the public eye, and teens themselves are trying to take a stand for what is healthy and right. We see this with companies doing positive body image campaigns, treatment centers such as The Healthy Teen Project, movements like the ‘Health at Every Size’ crusade, and teens attempting to be more responsible users of social media. It is an encouraging start to solving a problem that needs fixing, but there is much more work to be done. Because body image develops at such a young age and is affected by so many factors, we need to call on everyone involved to make an effort for change. Social media is native to teens and can be used for the greater good. We can use it to promote self-love and acceptance, and to show young people how to see their bodies and natural beauty in new ways. We can try to eliminate social comparisons, influenced by society, and anxiety, leading to positive body image perception and better physical and emotional health of our teens. As the future generation of parents, therapists, advertising executives, and social media influencers, we are worth it.
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Works Cited Andrews, Kirsten. Personal Interview. 26 April 2019. Bent, Erica. Personal Interview. 25 March 2019. “Findings on Body Image Research Detailed by Investigators at Virginia Commonwealth University (‘I don’t need people to tell me I’m pretty on social media:’ A qualitative study of social media and body image in early adolescent girls).” Women’s Health Weekly, February 1, 2018, 2674. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 21, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A525346367/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=59588a68. “Girls are self-harming at an alarming rate -- it’s time we stopped blaming body image.” Independent [London, England], August 30, 2018, 39. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 21, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A552201751/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=6d85ca35. “Investigators from Mt. Sinai Hospital Target Social Work (Using Objectification Theory to Examine the Effects of Media on Gay Male Body Image).” Politics & Government Week, 2 June 2016, p. 347. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/ A453710702/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=8587e096. Accessed 30 Apr. 2019. Lee, Sydney. Personal Interview. 27 April 2019. “Men need to speak up about their eating disorders -- here is how feminism can help.” Independent [London, England], October 1, 2018, 28. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 21, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A556443387/GIC?u=los42754&sid=G IC&xid=5ccb381d. Rutledge, Chelsea. Personal Interview. 31 March 2019. Scott, Margaret Loraine. “Body Image and Eating Disorders.” In Worldmark Global Health and Medicine Issues, edited by Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner, 40-46. Vol. 1. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 21, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3628100015/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=c9404aad. “Self-Perception Theory.” In International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2nd ed., edited by William A. Darity, Jr., 422-423. Vol. 7. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 21, 2019). http://link.galegroup.com/ apps/doc/CX3045302392/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=97304ee4. Yee, Cynthia. Personal Interview. 23 March 2019. 28
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About the Author
Syd Johnsen is a junior at Los Altos High School. She is also a design, digital media, and English student at Freestyle Academy, in Mountain View, CA. Syd is passionate about photography, design, and film production. In her freetime, she likes to work on personal art projects, take trips to the beach, and go on hikes. Syd has always had a love for dogs, and adores her own lab puppies, Hutch and Ivy. She also has a close relationship with her parents, two younger brothers, and enjoys spending quality time with them. In addition, she values every moment she spends with her friends. As of now, Syd is undecided which direction in the arts she wants to dedicate her life to, but she is prepared to work hard to achieve her goals.
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The Power of Reflection
Syd Johnsen