Effect on teenage girls

The overall effect the media has on teenage girls is hugely different. Obviously some girls aren't going to take offense as easily as others. Some insecure girls would look at the pictures and movies and think 'why can't I be like her?' And although most girls are insecure - not all girls think like that. However, if we were to look at other cultures (e.g. not western!), there is a very small representation of them in movies and magazines. Nowadays since there is so much talk about equality - not only between genders but also between races, you would think that there would be an equal amount of races throughout the media, however - if we talk African-American people for example - there is still a very small minority throughout the media.

This small clip addresses that fact..

In Lupita Nyong'o's speech she reads out a letter that a fan wrote to her. In the letter she reads: "I was just about to buy cream that lightens my skin when I saw you on the T.V." There are two huge things wrong with that sentence. Of course, the first being that the young girl wanted to whiten her skin (so she could be excepted). And the reason of course was because there is a very small representation of African-America women in the media, and because we are always seeing beautiful white women, it may have made her think that she wasn't beautiful. And the second - why does skin whitening cream even exist? Because white people are better and more successful - no! Just look at Lupita, Oprah and so many other influential african-american women. The greater effect can damage everyone though - and not only a specific race. Just like many people say - If steroids are illegal for athletes, then Photoshop should be illegal for models!