Impact of Television on the Perception of Body Image by Male Children
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Date
2007-06
Authors
Lewis, Janine
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Abstract
The study aimed to explore the impact of television on perceptions of body image
in male children. Focus group methodology was employed in order to access
participants’ perceptions of two television programs, and explore whether young children
are able to differentiate between themes and messages presented within television
programming and the extent to which they are able to select, process, and evaluate the
information. Five African-Canadian males, age’s seven to nine from the Dartmouth Boys
and Girls Club in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia viewed 10 minute clips from two age
appropriate television programs which displayed different themes (educational vs. teen
comedy) and then participated in the focus group.
The participants in this study offered insight and information regarding their level
of awareness with regard to selected television themes and messages. The participants
demonstrated an understanding of the main themes (educational vs. teen comedy)
presented within the television shows. Older participants (age 9) exhibited some
awareness of the rehearsed fantasy of television whereas the younger participants (age 7)
believed that most things portrayed on television were real. Overall, the participants
described characters with larger body shapes as “different” yet not necessarily negative.
Although these young boys demonstrated an awareness of extreme body types, they did
not appear to possess an association between body size and negative body image, but
expressed the insignificance of body size and attractiveness in relation to popularity.
This suggests that although the boys were able to distinguish between body size and type,
their cognition may not yet be developed to allow for a complete awareness of the
association between body size and negative body image. Thus, the framework of
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unrealistic body shape expectations may unknowingly be set in childhood, but it is not
until later in adolescence (which includes physical growth, onset of puberty, and
increased importance of peer relationships and peer pressure), that the incentives for a
change in behavior becomes great enough and the full impact of negative body image
occurs.
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Keywords
Psychological aspects , Children , Television , African-Canadians , Attitudes , Males , Boys , Public opinion , Nova Scotia , Body image