Women online - more than just a pretty face
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Women online - more than just a pretty face
The pretty wife, the beautiful daughter, the annoyed mother or the little sister that has to be protected. Those are the four categories of women in the mainstream media that have emerged in the past few decades, they’re portrayed as an accessory, always presented with relation to the men in their lives. And while there has been a perceptible shift in the representation of women, filmmakers, actors and celebrities still receive a large amount of backlash for portraying realistic female characters, having bodies with a healthy weight and not wearing makeup to cover up so-called “imperfections”. That not only creates unrealistic beauty standards but also one-dimensional views of a gender that makes up half the population.
The conversation around gender equality has been around for more than a hundred years. But how can we expect to treat women and men equally when what we see online everyday differs from the ideal of a society where everyone is respected equally? According to an article titled “How the news changes the way we think and behave” by the BBC “the news is accidentally warping our perception of reality-and not necessarily for the better”. So, it’s indisputable that only 26% of people in the news being women is going to have an affect on the issues represented in the media. (Source: unwomen.org, “Women’s representation in society”)
Also in the case of social media, women’s representation still has a long way to go. Because, as stated in an article by the National Library of Medicine (Gender and Media Representations: A Review of the Literature on Gender Stereotypes, Objectification and Sexualization) “stereotyping, objectifying and sexualizing representations appear to be still very common”. That means that women are portrayed as sexual objects and their careers, personalities and the respect they naturally deserve are being disregarded.
Overall there has been improvement in women making their voices heard but there are still people, men especially, who feel threatened by their demand for equality. They fear that feminism means that women will have more opportunities, and will be favored in the future when it simply means creating equal opportunities for men and women alike. Furthermore seeing yourself represented in the media you consume creates a feeling of solidarity and makes little girls feel validated, like they can be who they are and make their own way in this, still, mainly male-dominated world.
Comments (7)
Hello first. My opinion is that women have a major role in spreading different ideas, everything related to women in terms of hair and body care and different cooking methods from which many can learn. Like young people, media has become available to everyone, so many doors have been opened for women through media and it has become a source of livelihood for many of them. Women no longer need to leave the house to work, acquire information, or go to the library to read. All of this has become available in the media.
I agree because... Because women have a major role in the complex
It really sad to think that in the 21st century women still have to stay at home and only have to do the household chores. Why there rise several questions when a girls want to work outside from home? Still, in many families, they don't support the idea of women working outside, but it hasn't able to stop the women from pursuing their dreams. women nowadays with the help of media is doing a lot of works and can also earn money. They have showed that women are able to adapt and manage in every situation.
But I don't like the idea that why all the girls have to presented beautifully in front of the media by using makeup? By doing this they are not only harming their own body but also setting a very bad example among the other girls. It would be better if the women could show the true conditions of them. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. We don't need makeup to be beautiful. The number of women working in media is increasing day by day which is a good sign of women empowerment. Then content they are making online are not only helpful for girls but also helpful for boys. Through making content videos, many women have become our inspiration. If the women can utilize the media properly then they can advance a lot.
Can you explain why you believe women are expected to stay at home over men?
I think that men believe us women are supposed to stay at home because they believe that we are not able to do the hard work to bring home the money. They also think that once the women in the house has children or expecting, that they have to dedicate the rest of their life just for the child while the man can be free and still work. I just don't think that's fair.
In ancient world if I divide women and mens work then womens work would include washing clothes, management of house,cooking, cleaning caring for children and elders and especially in India most of the women worked in farms and did work like harvesting,threshing in scorching heat these all works require both mental and physical strength..on the other hand work done by men was mainly to go outside work and earn money...and if we compare both of the works how can womens be less capable to handle both home and her career..so I think since ancient times mens we were in a myth that womens are incapable of handling or earning money....
I agree with you are in the right way your opinion is very good
I agree with you because every woman should have the opportunity to work, and no one should prevent her from working in all magazines. It is possible for a woman to be a queen like Queen Elizabeth, and she can be a lawyer or any profession. The United States was concerned with ensuring women’s rights in society and the world.
In a way you have right, there is still a long way to achieve the fullest equality between men and women.
However I have to argue that we only see as beautiful daughters, pretty wives , annoyed sisters.
We now can also see dynamic leaders, role models, women that changed history, outstanding minds.
It is up to us what we choose to see and support . I don’t want to undermine the role of a beautiful daughter but this daughter is a unique personality too and maybe the next successful leader or the person that represents women’s strengths.
They have been major steps but of course it needs more to come. The thing is for sure that voices are now heard and they consist of a dynamic new culture.
I personally think that women are still being potrayed badly by our society. Social media is filled with appreciation post for man all around the world but when women does something its always misunderstood or judged. Most men think that women just need to be pretty but still they can't wear too much makeup or they need to have a job but they still need to do every choir around the house. Those opinions are very sad and old fashioned.
In my opinion I believe that woman are much more than just pretty face. They have same abilities as man to learn new skills. I wish we could see more woman in politics showing the world that they are much more than just physical appearance, they are not here to be an object but too be treated as a woman God created
Women on social media and online are not just a pretty face. Last few years social media networks have grown faster as 60% of the world's population is using social media platforms, and 34% of them are female users.
women can work online, teach or learn educational skills, create blogs and videos, as well as contact others.
Women can use the money they get online to provide for their families. They can also be role models for young people.
I also think that a women is so much more than a pretty face online. That women can be the inspiration to many young ladies and even young men. She could also be the inspiration to adult of all genders. They should really never judge a book by its cover because that woman could be the cover of your very own book.
I have always wondered why topics like ‘Pretty Privilege’ only ever involve women. Women who aspire to be great in industries like music, and acting are always accessed on their appearance, sexual appeal and ‘pretty face’, if they don’t have these things they are dismissed as ‘not ideal’ or ‘won’t sell’. Celebrity women are always constantly judged and pried on. It’s one of the reasons why Billie Eilish loved wearing baggy cloths when she was still under 20 - even now, in her words ‘no one could judge because they couldn’t see anything’. It’s why some female icons today still feel the need to go under the knife just to have a career in music or cover their ‘imperfections’ I mean that’s the whole bases of the Korean series ‘Mask Girl’. It’s why unrealistic standards are set in these industries most notably ‘K-pop’ with their ultra slim bodies. It’s why literal 16-year-olds are putting on heavy makeup and inappropriate cloths trying to ‘appeal to their audience’. We’ve seen the rise of popular female celebrities and most come out to voice their knowledge, disapproval and disgust at this pattern. Ice Spice even tweeted about this ‘I know about this pretty privilege thing and I’m gotta milk it for all it got’.
It shows that this views, standards and norms still exist even now. Women need to take charge of their own lives, show their strengths, and hold their head up high for the sky is the starting point. Women are so much more than their pretty face.