The Effect of Media Portrayals of Masculinity on Men’s Perceptions on their Bodies
Introduction
The current world is exceptionally different from ancient periods. There are ramified views concerning masculinity in society. These days, everyone desires to look as they want rather than maintaining their original body structure. Images used on various social media platforms have been the immediate cause of low self-esteem among men. In most cases, males have an adverse belief that masculinity is only perceived in the well-built body rather than sex. For that reason, they are coming in various ways that can alter their physical outlook.
To some extent, men are not genuinely interested in material things but physicality. In another view, men feel that social classes have no effects on their life, but the physical outfit. In a nutshell, men are not contented with their natural outlooks. In the ancient period, people admired Spiderman, batman, for their physical looks. However, with changing world and perceptions, people are yearning to have muscular and gigantic appearances, such as the structure possessed by Swarz Nigga. Men are persistently rushing for increment in body masses and strengths (Thomas & Burns 2016, 159). Strength training exercises, at times, help build one’s body to increase in size. Deriving from the social comparison theory, individuals are prone to comparing their characteristics to others, noting appearances that create differences between what they have and what others possess (Russello 2009, p. 3). Subsequently, victims of low self-esteem feel more psychologically distressed if they realize their friends possess some exceptional qualities, as opposed to what they own. Since these qualities may be their most envied structures, they strive to achieve such attributes so that they remain equal. Failure to possess qualities that others have directly kills self-esteem among men; thus, search for bodybuilding activities.
In a bid to make them change their looks according to their desires, men plot for various body-changing activities. Bodybuilding, weightlifting, and gym are some of the significant events men use to improve their outlooks. They yearn to expand their body surfaces to suit perceptions regarding masculinity. For instance, gymnastics are celebrated for muscularity among these men. According to Hearn (2016, p. 302), increasing structures is one of the essential achievements in men’s lives. Men perceive that bodybuilding makes them look more attractive. However, it has been indicated that the public negatively understands bodybuilding. Men blame some news reporters for their biasness while reporting to the public why men are visiting gyms. They claim that masculinity has been a very confusing aspect in society due to inappropriate use. Helms, Aragon & Fitschen (2014, p. 10) heightens that some people resort to nutritional supplementation to increase their bodies. Science also recommends dietary balances as another way through which men are achieving body changes, besides gymnastics and bodybuilding activities.
To worsen the matter, the media is significantly contributing to low self-esteem among men. Media is harshly blamed for its unfair role in lowering men’s’ satisfaction with their looks (Shoieb 2015, p. 7). For the purposes of adverts, the media uses bodies of men with extreme physicality. Sometimes, these photos are pinned on nonliving objects such as airplanes, trucks, trains, and other products. More so, these photos are used on various media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and these platforms are accessible to every man. Moreover, some of these photos used in adverts photo shopped, and not natural human bodies. Consequently, viewing these photos makes men compare their general body outlooks with those that appear on media platforms.
According to Russello (2009 p. 1), the pressure exerted on men forces them to become more muscular. Media exposure increases men’s concerns on both masculinity and muscularity, and this makes them brawnier. Following their dissatisfaction, men are resorting to bodybuilding activities. Variation in body size as a result of muscular difference leads to low self-esteem, especially among men. Even though a section of men wishes to maintain their slimy body sizes, a considerable number of men desire to increase their weight. In this case, men’s moods are affected since they cannot get contented with their looks, as juxtaposed to those portrayed on social media platforms.
To a more considerable extent, media portrayals of masculinity are profoundly amplifying men’s needs for bodybuilding. In this research, we target to discover men’s responses concerning the relationship between media and masculinity. These concerns are based on how men construct masculinity from media, if media can construct hegemonic masculinity, the influence of media on men’s bodybuilding plot, whether exposure to hegemonic masculinity encourages bodybuilding, and if bodybuilding is the litmus proof for masculinity.
Background of the Study
The study focuses on how media is amplifying the concept of masculinity in society. However, this study is not only being conducted to understand how media portrays masculinity but also how such media portrayals are affecting self-esteem among men, causing bodybuilding. In order to profoundly understand the position of media and its influence, the main focus will be based on men in contemporary society. Hypothetically, media portrayals are dramatically affecting men’s self-esteem in society. Apparently, a significant number of men are resorting to various bodybuilding activities to ensure that they exactly resemble portrays on multiple media platforms. For the purpose of this research, two principal data collection methods will be used. These research tools stated above are face-to-face interviews and content analysis. Interviews will require holding verbal discussions with interviewees. Targeted respondents must fall within the range of 18 and 40 years. On the other hand, content analyses will require thoroughly perusing through contents in various documentaries in line with masculinity. All these data collection tools will be used to ensure a profound understanding of the role of media on masculinity. The age range indicated above has been chosen because those are ages when humans are still active and desire to change their body looks.
In order to meet the target of the study on how media affects men’s self-esteem, the following questions have been designed. 1) How do men comprehend constructions of masculinity from the media? 2) Can the media be held responsible for the constructions of hegemonic masculinity? 3) Is it fair to say that the media plays a role in influencing men to start bodybuilding? 4) Can exposure to constructions of hegemonic masculinity impact the efforts men exert towards changing their bodies? And 5) is the idea of bodybuilding a result of what men perceive to be masculine? Relevant responses to these questions are expected to come from the target population for the research.
Ethical Issues
Informed-Consent Rule
The research will be conducted among participants upon alerting them of activity. In order to embrace ethics during the investigation, I informed participants from the onset of the study. Informing them allowed them to participate in the study willingly. For that reason, every piece of information obtained from the field during the research was truthful because of the respondents’ consensual participation.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Having consented to participate in the study, I assured participants of the total protection of their data from disclosure to the public. Any information that reveals participants’ identity and opinions have been excluded from the findings. However, we assured them that since it was a study, some essential data would be exposed to the public for educational purposes.
Right to Withdraw
Since participation in research should be deliberate, I gave participants opportunities to withdraw from during the process, especially if they realized imminent harm. It is ethical to make people do things in line with their choices and withdraw if they suspect any negativity that may arise from their participation in the activity. Fortunately, throughout the research process, every respondent provided information to the end of the study without withdrawing. Ultimately, the research was fairly conducted, without any coercion.
Avoiding Deceptive Practices
Our primary purpose of the research was to understand a link between media portrayals and masculinity in contemporary society. From the onset of the study, I alerted our respondents of the target of the study. At all times, I did not disguise our respondents with deceptive practices. I majorly dwelt on the scope of the topic of research in order to get relevant responses. I deviated from deceptive practices since I wanted to remain transparent to our respondents.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the essence of masculinity is presently attracting the attention of men in contemporary society. In the current world, people perceive that masculinity is only provable through physicality. The challenge comes from the fact that people compare their structures with those broadcast on various social media platforms. Moreover, some of these males-like images are artificially made, and in reality, no one can possess such a level of physique. To worsen the matter, media is contributing to the exposure of these well-built structures. Multiple social media sources broadcast these physiques, especially when marketing specific products. Once these men come into visual contacts with these exhilarating looks, they strive to rush for bodybuilding. Consequently, they hurry for various bodybuilding activities such as dietary supplementations, heavy exercises, weightlifting, and gymnastic practices. Apparently, men in the present world are exposed to the pressure of low self-esteem. Men cannot, at any time, appreciate their natural looks. Instead, they yearn to build their body so as to improve their masculinity. As they change their looks, other societal members who see these changes get inspired to work on their bodies as well. In fact, this body building activities become the most prominent activities among men in the society. Men are doing all their best to ensure that they achieve their most desired body looks.
In regards to body image, several researches have highlighted that media plays an extensive role in affecting masculinity among men. Media sources such as newspapers, televisions, and magazines have for long been so influencing on men’s opinions on body structure. Men are shifting their attention form their previous body maintaining activities to media portrayals. The prevalence of social media portrayals is elevating neediness for body changes. Men at all times live in comparisons, trying to equate their bodies to whatever photos they gaze at multiple media sources. The most immediate consequence of encountering these photos includes the low self-esteem among men in the contemporary society. Men no longer live to the full satisfaction of their lives. In most cases, they feel unfit to live in the society since they lack body structures possessed by their counterparts on social media. Living a stressful life is common characteristics among men in the current generation. Apparently, a section of men are reducing on their body weights and sizes due to extreme pressures and stress. Psychological distress arising from low self-esteem is general affecting men in the society. Ultimately, media is extremely affecting men’s perceptions about their body looks which forces them to engage in body building. Perhaps, some men are using dietary supplementations, heavy exercise and gyms as body building activities.
In a survey to discover how men feel about social media portrayals, 8 eight respondent have been considered. Out of these 8 interviewees, their age ranges were between 18 and 40 years. The age range was preferred because men within this age are inquisitive to understand what can make them build their bodies. Most of the respondents were stated that they joined gym and other body building activities because they felt very small and weak. For instance, during the research activity, one of the respondents responded that “I joined because I felt very weak…and I felt very scrawny, like very, very small for my height as well, so I thought that I should bulk up a little bit.” Such a comment indicates that men are not satisfied with their general looks, and that forces them for more additional weights. According to another respondent, weightlifting is one of his admired achievements. In this context, during the interview, he stated that “supposing I had like 60 kg, I would feel very happy when I gain more 15kgs to weigh 75kgs. Gaining that extra 15kgs would make admire myself more.” The respondent has for long been in distress because he lacks his desired body weight, and that makes him to be dissatisfied with his body. In general view, men in the contemporary societies do not appreciate their natural outlooks. In order to meet their needs, they have to build their body structures so as to meet their admired needs. Other men who come contact with those admiring to add weight also get inspires to participate in body building.