GenZ, body image and the media

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/teens/teen-behaviour/in-an-airbrushed-world-how-do-you-define-whats-truly-hot/article2355862/

The slogan on the Levi’s magazine ad declares that “Hotness comes in all Shapes and Sizes.” The problem is the three models, standing sideways in tight jeans, are barely distinguishable from each other.

“There’s maybe a difference between a size 0 and a size 4. Where are the size 8s, the size 12s?” points out Shannen Maili-McAleer, 16.

In all the debate about the perils of Photoshop and the impossibility of perfection, teenagers stand at ground zero, saturated in social media and bombarded with messaging. The side effects are showing: This month, a fresh group of young women jumped on a YouTube trend, posting pleading videos asking: “Am I Ugly?” A newly released study on mental health and young Canadians found that 39 per cent of female Grade 10 students believe they are fat, a number that’s substantially higher than those who are actually overweight.

Studies shows that depression, anxiety and eating disorders are on the rise – especially among young women, and when Alyssa says everyone knows someone who purges after binge eating, or takes laxatives to lose weight, the rest of the girls nod.

“Girls analyze their bodies a lot more,” she says. “Guys might say, ‘I wish I was little more muscular.’ But with girls, it’s like, ‘My thighs are too big. I have too many zits.’”

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D - 1/3 of UK women would trade intelligence for more bust. Otherwise, almost all women would rather be lighter, not heavier. The guys are split on heavier or lighter for their own ideal selves.

D - sure, they know the images are not representative of anything -even what those models generally look like.

D - heck, models are not even allowed to be adult any more. Adults are so BIG.

http://www.popphoto.com/news/2011/08/10-year-old-french-models-ignites-sexualisation-debate

D - I'm pals with a model, Mel. She's maybe 5' 6" and was not even 110lbs when I met her. I guess they call her build 'waifish'. Anyway, she developed the slightest hint of a figure, and that changed which type of modelling she could do in Asia when very young.