For my gender and media class last semester, I had to complete a capstone on a topic we learned about. My partner and I chose to do a project about how social media affects colleges women’s perception of themselves. We conducted a survey and handed it out to 50 young women. I wanted to share my observation on my project and how body image is crucial to women in college.
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When I decided to do our capstone project on body image and how it affects college women, I did not really think it would affect me. As I was doing research and having young, smart women completing our survey, I started realizing my own habits. I realized that I am self-conscious in my own ways about my body and I try to alter it through social media. I also had realized that I care too much about my appearance towards others. Reading over the results of the surveys, I decided that I was going to love myself and my body for what it is. My research also opened my eyes up to information that I did not know. I did not know the impact that puberty and social media have on crushing girls’ confidence. Puberty is one of the hardest times in a young girl’s life. Already feeling uncomfortable with your new body, seeing all these Instagram endorsers that are the same age as the tween makes a young girl feel depleted and not worthy. Social media and puberty are major factors that shape a young woman’s personality and confidence.
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I believe that my project can have an impact on young college women because it is time that all of us strong, independent women realize that we all feel the same about our bodies. No matter what shape, size, ethnicity, or race all women feel insecure about our bodies; and that is okay. It is time that we build women up about their bodies, and not tear them down. Personally, I love to public speak. I would feel comfortable presenting this project in an effective way because it could change the way women feel about their bodies and it can ignite young women to try and change the way society believes a woman’s body should look. If by presenting my project on another scale can help young women’s confidence about their bodies, I would present this to people anywhere. Doing this capstone project on body image and how it affects college women has made me realize that I need to love myself and my body for what it is.