Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
Beauty According to Society

People are being advertised to all of the time, whether they know it or not. Media

plays a big role in our lives as human beings and can influence the way that people talk,

walk, dress, and can even influence physical appearance. When companies and

businesses promote their products, they try to create their advertisements in an appealing

way to their target audience. Some methods that companies use include print, guerrilla,

broadcasting, online, product placement, outdoor, and cellphone advertisement. The top

two types of advertisements are cell phone/mobile and broadcast advertisements. The

media, especially social media, influences societys topic of discussion and the new

trends of the year. For awhile, companies have used pretty women, primarily with

white or fair skin, to promote their product to make it more appealing. What about

women of color including African-American females? What even makes someone pretty?

Who created these standards of being beautiful? Within this research the following

questions were analyzed:

1. How does social media influence the behavior of teens (negatively or positively)?
2. Which racial and gender groups utilize social media the most?
3. How do the media typically portray African-American females?
4. Does social media negatively influence adolescent African-American girls self esteem

via its posts, advertisements, videos and images?

How do social media influence the behavior of teens (negatively or positively)?

Social media has a grand influence on how teens act due to other teens and even

businesses or companies that advertise through social media. Internet smart companies

use social media to build a relationship with their customers. They advertise products in
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
ways that appeal to their target audience. For example, companies may include a new

trend or saying in one of their product advertisements to lure in their audience. Also

companies may begin a monthly give away to exclusive customers. This will help to

build a relationship between the business and the customer. In doing so the business can

definitely use social media to their advantage, especially if the target audience is teens.

The use of social media is extremely effective. In addition, this is a very

inexpensive way to spread a companys brand and popularity ( What Impact Has Social

Media Truly Had on Society). What goes on the Internet stays on the Internet forever.

Not only is content never truly deleted but it spreads rapidly, especially if media users

find it appealing or interesting. What could start off on Instagram one day, could end up

on Twitter next and then even make its way over to Facebook the very next day, if not

that same day. If social media users see that something is trending, or that everyone just

bought a trendy item then most of the time media users will bandwagon and tag along.

Teens want to be in the in group so they buy (usually with their parents money) what

they want in order to be noticed or to be cool. Being popular/being liked seems to be

very important to teens. They will do what it takes to be in that cool position, even if it

means buying whats hot and fresh. But how do teens know whats cool and whats

new? The best way to find out is social media and the users majority opinion.

Which racial and gender group utilizes social media the most?

Teens are greatly influenced by social media because most adolescents are signed

up on social media sites and use them daily. Which racial group uses social media the
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
most? About 75 percent of American teens have a social media profile page. Focusing on

that 75 percent, one out of five of those teens have a Twitter account. African Americans

use Twitter more than any other race; almost half, 49 percent, of teens that use Twitter are

Black. This percentage is higher than any other race alone. Of that 49 percent of Blacks

who use Twitter, 25% of them use Twitter daily. This ratio is again, greater than any other

race that uses Twitter daily. Blacks are most likely to name Twitter, rather than Facebook,

their main social media network (Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their

Digital Lives). Twitter is one of the most popular networks used by teens. More

specifically, African-American teens are the use social media, daily, more than any other

race, and therefore are influenced the most.

Do these teens sit at home on their computers all day? How do teens access their

social media pages in school? Most teens have cellphones and most of those cellphones

are smartphones, which are used to access social media. Only about 4 percent of U.S.

teens have access to one type of device (2015 US Teen Social Media Use: What You Need

To Know). This means that 96 percent of teens have access to more than one device,

giving the 96 percent of teens more opportunity to update, scroll through, and check out

their social media pages. About 73 percent of teens that have phones, have smartphones.

Just like the percentage of African American teens using social media being the highest

among all races, the percentage of African American teens that have smartphones is the

highest among all races as well. 85 percent of African American teens own a smartphone,

71 percent of White teens have a smartphone, and 71 percent of Hispanic teens have one
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
as well (2015 US Teens Social Media Use: What You Need To Know). Smartphones can

be utilized as a computer or laptop in a sense, providing easy access to social networks

especially with the use of social media phone applications, which can be downloaded.

This means that African Americans have more access to social media through the most

popular and efficient device more than any other race.

After narrowing down the most logically common user of social media from

American teens, to African-American teens, the research goes even further to determine

which gender uses more of this social media. Females use social media more than guys,

which means that they are more affected by it. Keeping in mind that most teens have

smartphones, 77 percent of girls use their phones daily while 60 percent of guys do.

Focusing on social media, 33 percent of girls have ever tweeted compared to 22 percent

of guys. When it comes to actively and daily using social media, 22 percent of females do

so, while 15 percent of guys are in daily use (2015 US Teen Social Media Use: What You

Need To Know). From studies shown, females are known to use less social media than

men when it comes to business related reasons. However, women use social media more

when sharing personal information, and revealing more about their personal lives.

Women are more open to sharing their lives in general. They are more vocal and

biologically wired for social networking. (Men vs. Women: Who is More Active on

Social Media). Females often use social networks to make new friends, and to connect

with family and current friends. As far as the guys, they play video games that they can

often connect with and talk to friends as well, so that their friends can join them. Men are
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
more active on sites like LinkedIn, Google Plus, and YouTube, while women are more

active on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pintrest. Females are more likely to

make friends and lose friends on their social media because of posts, pictures, and videos.

Females also often post pictures to show off their appealing looks. Unlike guys,

females will edit their photos to achieve this look. About 42 percent of males love posting

pictures on social media while 75 percent of females love posting pictures (Men vs.

Women: Who is More Active on Social Media). Females use social media more overall

than guys, and when they do it is most of the time for social and personal purposes.

How does the media typically portray African-American females?

Even after looking through blogs, advertisements, articles, tv shows, and a lot of

media, people can form an opinion that are ignorant because they have not been

enlightened to certain aspects of situations or circumstances. African American girls are

usually depicted in a negative or uneducated way in the media. In a survey of 1,200

women, conducted by Essence magazine, they all felt that the image for black women in

the media is overwhelmingly negative. The stereotype categories that Black women

often fall under are, Gold Diggers, Modern Jezebels, Baby Mamas, Uneducated Sisters,

Ratchet Women, Angry Black Women, Mean Black Girls, Unhealthy Black Women, and

Black Barbies. Most, if not all of these stereotypes are negative and are degrading when

describing Black women who are so much more than what may be portrayed on

television. Out of a group of Black women, between the ages of 18-29, 89 percent of

respondents said that they regularly see the typical Black baby mamas in media, 87
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
percent of the women often see Black gold digger images, and 41 percent which is less

than half saw images of real beauty when a Black female was shown in the media (The

Images of Black Women in Media...). Shows like Bad Girls Club, Basketball Wives,

and Love and Hip Hop often add onto and fulfill these black women stereotypes and

this affects young black womens perspective. Black women want to be portrayed for

whom they actually are; black woman want to be betrayed as Young Phenoms, Real

Beauties, Individualists, Community Heroines, Girls Next Door, and Modern Matriarchs

(The Images of Black Women in Media...). African American women reported higher

happiness rates when being portrayed with their natural beauty and appearance in

addition to their spiritual and religious lives/commitments (Black Women in the Media).

Unfortunately, negative typologies that have been formed and released by the media have

compelled women to think that physical features, including fairer skin and straight hair,

are the most beautiful features to have. These are typically things that a Black female

does not naturally have.

Does social media negatively influence adolescent African-American girls self

esteem via its posts, advertisements, videos and images?

The effect that these negative media images of Black women have on black men,

other races, and most importantly young black females is extremely negative. These

negatives stereotypes can lead people to think that the only black women who can

escape these stereotypes have to be racially ambiguous or mixed. This sends a

demeaning message to young black girls, little black girls learn early on that in order to
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
be beautiful or important, they have to be white or undertake white characteristics

(Shields: Black Women Portrayal in Media Shows Stereotypes). This is usually learned

from the media and social networks. It is often thought of by black girls that if they

cannot conform and change to be beautiful, then they must accept being a second

class citizen or a side chick, but never be on top. Men and other races receive this

same information that black girls do see at relatively early ages. If these young black girls

and black women are beginning, if not already do believe the negative that they see in the

media, then whos to tell black males and other races not to believe that this is true as

well.

The media shapes black womens lives. Black women face the lack of positive

representation in the media through television shows, books, and music which all shapes

our society. The media shapes and molds how we think of or perceive others and even

ourselves. Black women face a lack of media control because they have little to no

control of the behind the scenes aspect of media. Men make up 68% of bosses in the

media making industry, and most of the men are White. This means that the Black

womens representation is left up to people who are not black women nor have the

experience of a black woman, leaving these women with little to no voice or input when

it comes to putting things in the media.

Being that there is little Black female representation within companies, and Black

teens are the main ones on so, this has to somewhat affect their self-esteem. Social media

can affect a persons self esteem whether directed towards someone personally or just
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
directed towards a particular group of people (Social Media Affects Teens Self-Esteem,

Social Identity).

Social media can link with self worth. For example social media measures a

persons popularity level based on the amount or likes or follows that a person has. Also

social media users often compare themselves to others based on accomplishments that are

posted or in a users bio, a persons looks in their profile pictures or uploaded pictures on

their page, and even the number of uplifted and glorifying comments that a user may get.

In a study of 298 participants, 50% of them said that use of social networks like

Facebook and Twitter makes their lives worse (The Relationship Between Social Media

and Self Worth). This truly goes to show that social media really does have an effect on

its users, and this effect I not always good. Receiving good and nice comments on social

media can truly boost ones self-esteem. It seems like social media has its users minds and

emotions wrapped around its fingers. Social media also shapes the expectations and

actions of teens, providing them with this this perfect image that they may feel like

they need to be. Motivation to become that perfect image can come from the number of

likes and comments on a persons pictures. If a person gets a lot of likes, retweets, and

glorifying comments, then other people will strive to look like that picture to receive that

same good feeling and reaction. Others can put down teens from hurtful and negative

comments, which has and can lead to suicide and self-abuse. Social media can make a

teen completely change who they are just because they see that its popular; it being

music, clothes, personality and or even friends. It is said that, social media deprives
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
teenagers of who they really are, and it is up to teenagers to change their beliefs and what

they are defined by (The Relationship Between Social Media and Self Worth), and since

the majority of social media users are teen African American females, they are the very

ones who are being deprived of who they really are.

Conclusion

Almost every adolescent has used social media, and black females use are the

most active when in use. The representation of black females through media has overall

had a negative take. How are black adolescent girls supposed to know and believe that

they are beautiful and excellent when the media, that is constantly seen, is placing them

into stereotypes and degrading them? After interviewing a mother of color, an advertiser,

and a business owner and asking them if they believe that the media influences the way

that society thinks, they all answered fairly similarly. The mother of color replied,

Absolutely. Media purpose is to create and reinforce trends. The advertiser stated that

the influence stems from the entertainment industry, which contributes to the media.

Finally the business owner mentioned that, people make decisions based on the media.

In terms of the way that beauty is portrayed she said that, women come in all shades and

sizes and the media doesn't represent the variety of women in our society. The posts and

media on popular social networks can tear away at black adolescent girls confidence and

self-esteem.
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017

Works Cited

Byng, Rhonesha. "The Images Of Black Women In Media Still 'Only Scratch The

Surface,' Essence Study Finds." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com.

Web. 08 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/15/the-images-of-

Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
black-women-in-media_nhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/15/the-images-

of-black-women-in-media_n_4102322.html_4102322.html>.

Doctoroff, Ariel. "Study: Girls More Plugged in Than Boys." Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/06/27/girls_use_social_media_more

_than_boys_study_shows.html>.

Lenhart, Amanda. "Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015." Pew Research

Center Internet Science Tech RSS. 09 Apr. 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/>.

"Men vs. Women: Who Is More Active on Social Media? Do Women Use Social

Differently to Men?" Brandwatch. 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<https://www.brandwatch.com/2015/01/men-vs-women-active-social-media/>.

Prince, Richard. "Black Women in Media: Portrayed as Gold Diggers, Jezebels and Baby

Mamas?" Black Women in Media: Jezebels, Gold Diggers, and Baby Mamas. 5

Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<http://www.theroot.com/blogs/journalisms/2013/10/black_women_in_media_por

trayed_as_gold_diggers_jezebels_and_baby_mamas.html>.

Ramasubbu, Suren. "Influence of Social Media on Teenagers." The Huffington Post.

TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

"The Relationship Between Social Media and Self-Worth." The Social U. 2013. Web. 08

Apr. 2016. <http://thesocialu101.com/the-relationship-between-social-media-and-

self-worth/>.
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017
Shields, Mandisa. "Shields: Black Women Portrayal in Media Shows Stereotypes." The

Daily Orange The Independent Student Newspaper of Syracuse New York Shields

Black Women Portrayal in Media Shows Stereotypes Comments. Web. 08 Apr.

2016. <http://dailyorange.com/2014/02/shields-black-women-portrayal-in-media-

shows-stereotypes/>.

"Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives | Common Sense

Media." Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives |

Common Sense Media. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life-how-

teens-view-their-digital-lives>.

"Social Media Affects Teens Self-esteem, Personal Identity." The Register. Web. 08 Apr.

2016. <http://www.omahacentralregister.com/1366/showcase/social-media-

affects-teens-self-esteem-personal-identity/>.

"Social Media Leaves out Full Picture and Meddles with Opinions." The Ram Page. Web.

08 Apr. 2016. <http://rampage.news/opinion/social-media-leaves-out-full-picture-

and-meddles-with-opinions/>.

"Study Shows How Teens Are Using Social Media." Fortune Teenage Boys and Girls

Dont Use Social Media in the Same Way Comments. 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<http://fortune.com/2015/08/06/teens-social-media/>.
Maya Thames

English 102

Dr. Wynne

17 March, 2017