I think in general they are sexualized. However, I also think women can do more to reduce this.
-Susan, 47, NJ, USA Women are definitely objectified in the media. I wrote my JRP largely about female politicians depicted in the media, and I've noticed that women are judged based on their looks over their inner qualities, which is unfair and surprising that this is still an issue.
-Marisa, 17, NJ, USA We have a long way to go, but we’re doing much better.
-Sabina, 17, NJ, USA It's getting better, with more recognition. People like Emma Watson make a big impact.
-Aviva, 17, CA, USA I think representation is getting better, but still has a long way to go, especially when depicting minority (POC, LGBT+, people with disabilities, etc.) and we should keep that in mind. Proper representation is super important, especially for young girls today, for whom media plays such a big role in their lives, and we need to strive to showcase women in a positive and accurate light, and be weary of stereotypes, gender roles, and other inaccurate portrayals.
-Grace, 16, CA USA Women are depicted in Media in many bad ways that bring the common girls self-esteem down for their Idol not being perfect enough so the girls think that they are not good enough or pretty enough.
-Nina, 17, CA, USA In movies, being beautiful is incredibly important. However, there are so many independent women in media who are scientists and lawyers and physicians and comedians and Congresswomen who can inspire next generations.
-Mira, 17, NJ, USA It’s getting better.
-Nina, 17, NJ, USA I think how women are depicted on the media is slowly reforming and beginning to enforce for body positivity and awareness to the discrimination and harassment women often encounter. I do think that we have come a long way since the beginning of women empowerment but there is an even longer way to go in order to achieve the goal set for in feminism.
-Morgan, 16, NJ, USA Women who are depicted in media show unrealistic goals for young girls that will harm them in the future. The young girls need to learn how to be proud of their body and their abilities.
-Pooja, 17, NJ, USA I do think they’re oversexualized but I will admit I think many “feminists” take it WAY too far.
-Ashley, 15, CA, USA I think they focus more on physical appearance than personality characteristics, intelligence, and experience.
-Ashley, 28, NJ, USA Women are seen as a piece of meat. We’re seen for our physical appearances. Judged on how we look. And not for what’s inside.
-Stephanie, 22, NJ, USA I don't like it. Beauty standards these days are hardly achievable and become almost idiotic. Women are also often sexualized in the media which is not okay. Furthermore, constant obsession and comparison with models can definitely lead to a degradation of self esteem. -Clara, 15, WA, USA
I think women are many times judged based on their looks. We don't need to know what they're wearing or how much they weigh. so many celebrities are activists and aren't celebrated for it.
-Jaime, 31, NJ, USA Sometimes bad! Women are often used for "sexually arousing effects." This diminishes the value in women.
-Raymond, 17, CA, USA It depends. I think it is changing for the better but we have to remain vigilant.
-Emily, 40, MA, USA Inaccurately, as objects.
-Anonymous It's awful and so easy to buy into. Don't fall for it!
-Nadia, 17, NJ, USA OH BOY. So many things are wrong with how women are written as characters and even treated within the industry itself, but I doubt you want to hear all about objectification and sexualisation etc etc. All I can say is: Read. Listen. Be more critical of the media you consume.
-Samantha, 17, Hong Kong It is starting to improve but there is still a huge influence of stereotypes of women in media that needs to be gone.
-Sumana, 15, NJ, USA I feel that most women are depicted rather negativity in the media and as a woman that's a really horrible feeling. I believe that men should be depicted more negatively for all of the terrible things that they do to women.
-Julia, 17, NJ, USA Over-sexuliazed. We have brains too.
-Rachel, 16, Hong Kong Women have never been depicted as equals to men. Often times they are seen as sexual symbols, never serving a large purpose. That's why I think that the rise of influential women like Michelle Obama is so important. They're changing how women are being seen and pushing for more equality. The #MeToo movement does this well in the media and encourages girls everywhere that equality can be fought for and eventually released.
-Nikita, 16, CA, USA I think that women are typically not depicted well in the media, though it has gotten better than before. If a woman is confident in her body, she is labeled a slut. If she is more serious and strong in her opinions, she is labeled a bitch. (sorry for the language).
-Cara, 16, CA, USA They portray us as something else that we are not. Sex sells and women have to expose themselves in order to get further on into their career.
-Kathy, 27, CA, USA I wish there was more ethnic diversity and less type casting for roles.
-Elaine, 17, CA, USA Unfair at times but getting better.
-Daisy, 34, CA, USA Women are often objectified and out on display at the will of men, which is the complete opposite of picture of equality.
-Veronika, 15, CA, USA Visual media (TV, magazines, movies) depict women as always put-together and beautiful objects. We assess women on our perceived notions of beauty instead of their skills, knowledge, talents etc. We need to stop viewing women with the glamour lens always and appreciate them for their substance and character. I think it's time we stopped objectifying women.
-Gayathri, 40, NJ, USA I don’t like it. Even fictional women are held to the same crazy double standards that real women are. Thankfully newer media understands a little more, and women are beginning to have better roles, but there is still lack of nonwhite and LGBT women in the media. And when I say “a lack” I mean like zero.
-Kara, 16, NJ, USA Depends.
-Josephine, 46, NJ, USA Sometimes you see someone on a big screen and you wonder how you can ever look like that. Or your frustration when the main character is a strong guy with a side female character that’s only there for romance. Slowly, there are cracks in those stereotypical roles. Lately, I’ve been feeling better and better when watching highly rated shows with female characters that are actual, believable, women.
-Nikitha, 18, NJ, USA While media representation for most groups is improving, I think women still need more accurate representation. For example, most of the leading women in movies and TV shows are thin or fit and attractive. However, this bias in media isn't representative of real women - in real life, there are overweight and underweight and right-in-the-middle women. I think this contributes to our unconscious beliefs in what is considered an "acceptable" body type, more than we think. Even though characters' personalities are becoming more diverse, there's definitely still a prevalence of tropes in entertainment, like the "queen bee" or the "nerdy girl with glasses". That can also be problematic because it might ingrain those stereotypes in us without our knowing, and then translate to the way we see others in the real world.
-Selina, 16, CA, USA It is bad, creates low self esteem.
-Morgan, 21, NJ, USA Women are often sex symbols who are depicted as having value for how they look and how attractive or sexy they are to men. However, with the current social climate and women standing up for each other, and men standing up for women I hope to see this portrayal change to more images of strong women who aren't defined by how they look.
-Maeve, 23, NJ, USA I think there are a lot of powerful women in the media, but they are also some women who are negatively represented in the media.
-Aliyah, 18, NJ, USA On social media, women with little clothing are often showed. However, the side of women that are smart, educated, and worth listening to are very rarely pushed on these sites. They would rather show a drunk woman falling and hitting her head rather than a speech by Michelle Obama.
-Natalie, 17, NJ, USA I think women are depicted as “weaker” or “less” than men. I don’t think this is right and needs to be changed. Girls shouldn’t grow up to the things being stated or shown of women.
-Victoria, 13, NJ, USA I think women are depicted as very degrading in the media, and people see them as victims and weak. Most people seem in the media, to choose not to believe a women and whatever they say, and never account for how strong women are.
-Sophia, 15, IN, USA They're often look upon as mere objects and they're often dressed scandalously as if trying to win favors. I don't agree with that. Women should be able to dress however they want without thinking about the men's opinion.
-Jade, 14, CA, USA Ugh... enough said — don’t let people who don’t know you tell you who you are or supposed to be. everyone can have their own opinion but mine is that whoever you are, you are incredible!
-Piper, 12, CA, USA A little (very??) angry. A lot of things seem to be based on what they look like; There’s a lot of stuff regarding their looks over their achievements and accomplishments.
-Bridget, 17, CA, USA They aren’t. Women are seen as the show not the work behind it. And the women who are tough enough to be seen are gems for the media to gawk at. Someday a woman is going to be president and life will go on as it is, it won’t be extremely phenomenal, she won’t be known for being a woman president, she’ll be known for being president and a damn good one too (hope so) because it won’t be anything new. That’s when we know women are held to the same level of respect, when they take reins of power and we’re okay with that. Also please please love and appreciate the men and boys who support and fight for you THEY’RE AWESOME. They have nothing to be guilty about if you wouldn’t feel guilty about it yourself. <- truth. And please please love and appreciate and frickin respect those who don’t feel the need to be on one side or the other of man or woman because they’re just as great too, if not cooler. And please just respect everyone, the fact that we have to separate people is just pathetic. Don’t be a man anything or a woman anything, just be a decent human bean, just be you because that’s already something.
-Anonymous Recently it's been getting better, there has been a lot more body positivity and freedom to do what you want as long as you don't hurt others. However, especially relating to celebrities, women are often perceived as toys or objects. Everything spoken in the media should be taken with a grain of salt.
-Emily, 15, CA, USA Unhappy with most of it. Some of what I see degrades the intelligence of women.
-Jane, 66, NJ, USA Better than years ago for sure.
-Vincenzo, 63, AZ, USA Not so great- women are seen as Barbie dolls too much emphasis on looks and not enough on intelligence and strength.
-Smiljana, 61, NJ , USA Disgusted.
-Cara, 41, NY, USA I know that women aren't always accurately shown in the media, but it really depends on what. Mainly, it depends on why the media is created. Generally books show less stereotypes than movies or TV shows because writing a book takes longer and doesn't cost so much time and money, so they are thought through and don't use generalizations to get it done as quickly and easily as possible, but this isn't true for everything.
-Sophia, 14, NJ, USA Not good.
-Chloe, 17, NY, USA Women continue to be objectified and, particularly Hispanic/Latina women. I did my Master's thesis on this topic and women do not always see what is being done to them by the media. I believe we still have much work to do and we need to enlist the assistance and cooperation of men. This is not just a women's issue. Men are also objectified and that is also wrong. Unfortunately, we live in a highly eroticized society. We need to break this mold and create another one where people are celebrated for their talents, their intelligence, their contributions to society and not just their outer beauty.
-Josephine, 65, NJ, USA They’re starting to portray us as real people which is better than us being flawless aliens.
-Ava, 17, NY, USA I think that in some lights women are treated inferior and incompetent but especially now there are so many strong women who are changing how women are depicted.
-Angela, 15, NY, USA Women fall primarily into two roles: a stereotypical, sexed-up damsel in distress, or an over-powered, flawless heroine. Women are hardly ever depicted as normal people like men are, and being female is treated as a character trait on its own.
-Katie, 18, MD, USA The image that media creates about women is not realistic. We are not all blond and a size 4. Women are all shapes and sizes. And we are much stronger than men. Men are babies - they don’t have babies.
-Cheryl, 51, NJ, USA We're getting better in the sense that not every woman we see on television now is white, skinny, and scantily clad, but I think we could expand in the sense that we should stop airbrushing women so much. Nobody is perfect! Everybody should be their true self; the media influenced me so much when I was growing up as a young girl.
-Kassen, 17, CO, USA Despite some progress in the acknowledgment of sexual harassment, we have a long way to go. Media, music, clothing, makeup-all still sexualize women and girls. I had thought we’d be long past this by now....😢
-Holly, 64, NJ, USA There is a wide range. I do think there should be less focus on youth and beauty and more focus on women of substance.
-Risa, 55, NJ, USA It varies. Be careful what media you frequent and support the media that respects women.
-Ann, 67, NJ, USA Something needs change.
-Emily, 15, NY, USA They should be treated more equally.
-Faith, 14, NY, USA Too much of our time is spent on looking good!! The media perpetuates this. Go shop for a great book instead of a pair of shoes, I dare you.
-Lee, 57, NY, USA I am disgusted and try to avoid movies that treat women as objects. The current #MeToo movement will provide a sea change, I hope. It’s about time!
-Pat, 62, NJ, USA Women are often bashed in the media, which is unfair because it discourages young girls who see all this negative news about women.
-Emma, 17, NC, USA I think that it is great to be feminine, but sometimes femininity is reduced to prettiness or sexiness. Being a woman is so much more than that. I wish that the media focused more on the strength, resilience, and compassion that are the real hallmarks of women.
-Susan, 65, NJ, USA I think there is still too much emphasis on physical perfection.
-Laura, 63, NY, USA Depends on what program I’m watching. In comedy specifically they’re depicted as very funny and capable.
-Alexis, 34, NY, USA Very conflicted! I think in most cases there is too much focus on sexuality and appearance rather than intelligence and personality. It seems to be shifting, especially in response to the #MeToo movement.
-Nina, 62, NJ, USA Annoyed.
-Lorena, 50, NJ, USA Many women are sexualized in the media and then other women are shamed for being “too sexual” it’s disgusting and it hurts young girls who are growing in the world. Dress codes now are horrendous and the fact that a school would rather tell a girl to cover her shoulders then tell a boy to stop staring is just awful. Young girls deserve support and to feel as though they can be proud of their bodies just the way they are. The word “fat” shouldn’t immediately be connected with negativity. fat is beautiful, fat is amazing, fat is a natural body type that should be just at loved and appreciated as any other body type. Plus sized models should just be models!! They shouldn’t be categorized because of the size of their hips or tummies! Fat women shouldn’t be told they “don’t care enough” and skinny women shouldn’t be told they “don’t care enough”. The “ideal body” for a woman now is completely unrealistic and over animated. You can’t want a women with curves and then call her disgusting for having stretch marks. You can’t want a skinny girl and get angry at her and call her “flat”. You can’t demand a women and then get angry because of what you see as flaws.
-Jamie, 15, NY, USA Women are sadly oversexualized and belittled in the media - especially in TV and movies. Representation is definitely improving, so there is hope for the future!
-Lauren, 28, NJ, USA Women are not depicted positively in the media; strong women are portrayed as bitchy, and many shows/commercials/movies put forth the idea that a woman has to be sexy above all, no matter what she does, and that there is only one way or type to be sexy.
-Clarissa, 51, TX, USA I think female representation is getting better, but we have a long way to go. I'm so proud of the women in the media who are leading the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. They are being true role models and leading the way in making sure women and girls are represented fairly and honestly in the media.
-Jamie, 33, NJ, USA I feel like there are a lot of strong and capable women in the world and we are starting to see more of them depicted in the media. However, we need to continue that trend and show that women are and can be powerful. The media still too-often focuses on physical attraction in determining a woman's worth, which is completely inaccurate. Women can be strong, no matter how they look.
-Andrea, 27, MN, USA |
As female archetypes rather than individual people.
-Natalie, 17, NJ, USA I think that there are a lot of subliminal messages in the media we consume that suggests that women should normalize a lot of abnormal behavior. For example, many shows show gratuitous sexual and gendered violence, but we are expected to overlook these traumas and focus on the plot or other qualities of characters who perpetuate these behaviors.
-Rea, 17, NJ, USA I think that women are not always well depicted in the media because they set high expectations for women or they are portrayed with unpleasant characteristics.
-Marissa, 18, NJ, USA It is improving, but they are still overly sexualized objects.
-Meg, 17, NJ, USA The #TimesUp movement is possibly the best thing I’ve seen in a long time, with women standing up for one another in support of women’s rights. Personally, instead of glorifying women like the Kardashians who taint reality, society should honor accomplished women in underrated fields like science, math, film, history, art, etc. These women are true heroes.
-Victoria, 18, NJ, USA I don't like it. We should all be equal the men. We are all the same creature.
-Madeline, 26, CA, USA I wish women were depicted in more STEM-related roles rather than in the humanities and arts.
-Daniella, 17, NJ, USA I think it’s a shame because women are great.
-Jewel, 16, CA, USA Depends on what you’re looking at or looking for. If you’re unhappy with what you see it’s our job to change it. Meghan Markle changed a nationally run commercial when she was just 8 years old I think because she didn’t like that women were portrayed as the only member of the household that does dishes. Google it, worth the watch.
-Cristina, 32, NJ, USA It is getting better.
-Amy, 31, NJ, USA Personally, I don’t see any problem with the way women are depicted in the media any more than men.
-Analisa, 17, NJ, USA Women are clearly not equal to men in the media. Women are often objectified, and on the chance a woman is in a position of power, she tends to receive more criticism and scrutiny than men of a similar position.
-Cassia, 17, NJ, USA I love when women are depicted as strong power houses in the media. I love seeing the beauty of motherhood in the media. I love seeing women support women in the media. I love seeing how men love women for the awesome creatures they are in the media.
-Alexandra, 29, NJ, USA I think it’s getting a lot better. One problem is that women in media used to be one-dimensional and stereotypical, but with more women becoming directors and producers and people in power, we’re getting to see a lot more interesting women, like you and me, in film and television today.
-Katherine, 18, Hong Kong In our times I feel like they’re starting to depict use women good, strong, intelligent, beautiful, because we are that.
-Jessie, 17, CA, USA It sucks. We have to work twice as hard as men to get anything done and even be taken seriously.
-Justine, 17, CA, USA It definitely could be better, but if you look at how women were portrayed in the 70s, I think we’ve come a long way. I think with the Times Up movement, we’re on a cusp of another change.
-Jasmine, 17, Hong Kong In the past not so well but recently things have been getting better.
-Laura , 18, Ireland Fine, but I probably don’t watch enough TV to answer this.
-Alessandra, 35, NJ, USA It is not reality.
-Jessica, 44, NJ, USA They are often sexualised or painted to be more emotionally aggressive in mainstream media. Ambition is too often correlated with pompousness or calculative, and kindness is too often scratched out as being fake. Thankfully, people are appearing to be more willing to avoid one dimensional characterizations these days.
-Sabrina, 18, Hong Kong I feel like women need to value their bodies more and stop showing so much.
-Katie, 32, NJ, USA I think these days women are standing up for what is right and how we should be treated.
-Micaela, 24, NJ, USA A lot of the time it’s very negative - women being told “your skirt is too short” or “you were asking for it” - but recently with all the abuse scandals being discussed in the media women are beginning to be depicted as brave and strong (which we are).
-Karen, 16, Dublin, Ireland I think we need to get to a point where it's not just about sexual harassment charges and random things. I think the media doesn't focus enough on good women out there making differences. It's focusing on negative things which needs attention to but not all of it.
-Amanda, 23, CA, USA In the past I feel women were not always depicted in the best light: Bossy, bitchy… but I feel now that is changing. It is a good thing to be a strong woman and stand up for yourself.
-Kathy, 49, NJ, USA Women are represents terribly in the media. Focus on people in real life instead of the imaginary world that the industry wants you to want.
-Raychel, 16, CA, USA I am proud of the movement and changes that are currently occurring within the media business regarding the standards of women. I am hopeful that the entertainment and beauty industry will create space for equality and realistic beauty standards.
-Mackenzie, 21, NJ, USA I feel like there are certain expectations that are unrealistic.
-Katherine, 17, CA, USA I’m pretty ambivalent. There are depictions of women that make me happy and that I feel are accurate and others that are the opposite. I don’t really involve myself too much in it but used to a lot. Some of the messages I received as a teen were misleading and damaging.
-Marlena, 27, Queensland, Australia It depends on where, positive role models need to be better promoted.
-Gina , 40, NJ, USA Too sexual.
-Diana, 57, CA, USA I don’t know. Sometimes I’m in awe of how strong they are with their actions, and yet other times you can clearly see those feminazis or people using their gender to their advantage that ruins the accomplishments of those previous women.
-Amanda, 18, NJ, USA Women can be depicted as perfect in the media with perfect hair, clothes and skin. Commercials, TV shows, etc show women as not real and photoshop most images giving young girls the wrong idea and the wrong impression of what they should be.
-Carrie, 49, NJ, USA Sex objects and they just have to be physically beautiful which is such a lie. It puts a lot of undue pressure on girls.
-Pam, 53, NJ, USA I think that women are being depicted better now than many years ago, but there are still some stereotypical depictions out there which negatively affect a woman's image.
-Charlotte, 53, NJ, USA Mostly objectified? What the male gaze sees as attractive is too often exploited.
-Karis, 18, Hong Kong It's a man's world, still. I feel there are a lot of double standards out there, and they favor men. So if a woman finds herself in a position of power, it's assumed she did something unethical to get there. But that is changing, thank goodness. It's very complicated. There are a lot women who play right into the stereotypes and that doesn't help things, but at the same time they're just a victim of society's view on women and in some cases, are using it to their advantage.
-Dany, 56, VT, USA I think it shows being a good role model and being confident.
-Isabelle, 11, NJ, USA Women are often objectified by the media - dressed up and sold more for their looks than their talent. For instance, reporters often comment on the fashion/looks of a female athlete rather than their accomplishments, which is absurd.
-Allison, 17, NJ, USA I think as a society we’ve gotten better as depicting women as strong role models but that’s not to say that we don’t have further to go. Women are still thought of as these magazine cover models who have nothing but their beauty to brag about. Women are strong, confident, beautiful human beings that are doing great things everyday. Women are athletes, doctors, scientists, teachers, and great achievers that can do some much more than flaunt their good looks.
-Hannah, 14, NJ, USA I often feel that women are judged or made to be a joke when a man in the same position would be praised. There is a lack of covering and highlighting the successes of women.
-Megan, 37, GA, USA Some are positive, some are negative. Don't look to the posts about gossip or bodies, but look and find the women who are featured because of actual achievements.
-Cindy, 17, CA, USA I think they are so positively depicted, and people are very okay with having non-feminine women in society that it's created a weird feeling around being feminine.
-Baylee, 12, CA, USA Ugggggggg it’s so gross! We are very objectified.
-Allie, 13, NY, USA They aren't depicted well. WE aren't depicted well. But we are also human beings. There's a certain level of respect that we all deserve, but some are less willing to give it out to women.
-Anonymous It's certainly improving but we still have a long way to go. The field that makes the biggest impact on people is the entertainment field, yet it's also the field where there's the most severe gender discrimination, especially in the film industry.
-Amy, 18, South Korea I think women need to be portrayed as people with brains, and not only as sexualized bodies used to make money.
-Madeline, 18, VT, USA When I was younger, all I saw in the news was people criticizing what women wore or who they were dating. I think there was a little too much focus on irrelevant aspects of their lives instead of their accomplishments. Their image in the media has improved a little because of viewers being more aware of the bias shown toward them, but it can be improved.
-Victoria, 18, NJ, USA I think we have a long way to go as far as how women are shown realistically and fairly in the media. How are women supposed to hold their head high when expected to live up to unrealistic expectations. There is change in the works. #meetoo.
-Terri, 53, NY, USA It’s not realistic for the most part. The media airbrushes pictures to depict women smaller & skinnier, making others feel they can never reach these expectations. And you never can because they are not realistic.
-Jennifer, 42, NY, USA Our Girl Scout troop did a whole Journey project on this, and made their own magazine to encourage girls not to be swayed by what they're shown in the media. I work with Photoshop on a regular basis in my job, and I'm always careful to make sure reality reigns.
-Anonymous I feel that no one, male or female, should have to go through that and I think that that is very unfair.
-Molly, 13, NJ, USA Not good.
-Bella, 16, CA, USA I think there are a lot of incredible roles for women of all ages and ethnicities in films and series. I think there's more authenticity now and it's not just a young woman's game anymore.
-Peppi, 60, NJ, USA Sad - women should support each other not tear each other apart. Honesty goes a long way.
-Carole, 74, SC, USA I feel like a lot of female characters are written by men and don't feel very genuine. Female writers do a much better job of making women into full, interesting characters with their own motivations and ideas.
-Emma, 18, TX, USA Awful, I think there is too much of an expectation that women are supposed to be perfect: the perfect mom, perfect athlete, perfect student, perfect wife, perfect career woman, perfect daughter, perfect friend, etc.
-Rachel, 17, CA, USA Women are depicted as not as intellectual as men, which can be dangerous to young girls.
-Brooke, 17, ME, USA Poorly, to say the least. I don’t have time to fully elaborate, but the polarization or body types as “plus” versus “runway” is definitely conflicting. Somehow, women are meant to be “thick”, but fitness is also heavily insinuated in our culture. Not to mention the conflicting social standards women are held to (slut/prude, princess/bitch, etc.) All the conflicting ideals of women are immensely confusing so I choose to do my own thing.
-Astrid, 18, NM, USA Women are depicted as objects of desire in the media. It is disgusting. Turn on your local news channel and you will see that the female news anchor is wearing a revealing shirt and 10-20 years younger than her male counterparts.
-Kate, 18, AZ, USA It is certainly improving, but we're still missing the "middle" portion of girls, which is how most really look.
-Cameron, 17, CO, USA I don't like it, although I am hopeful that things are improving. Too much pressure is put on women to look good all of the time. Women are always judged first by how they look - even by other women.
-Doreen, 51, NJ, USA It is a game and they usually don't seem authentic to me.
-Meg, 49, NY, USA Women are often objectified in the media and I feel that is unfair.
-Nikki, 14, NY, USA It's changing so much now I'm not sure. Both men and women are ridiculed on sitcoms. Women are being written more of the starring problem solving and power roles in dramas, and men are also seen more now as sex objects rather than than just women.
-Gerry, 71, NJ, USA I feel as though women are shamed for posting certain pictures of themselves and that is no one else's business. If a woman wants to post a picture then let her.
-Gianna, 17, NJ, USA I think there are some positive and negative depictions. While there are less women in stereotypical roles, women in media are always beautiful/wearing makeup, and there is very little diversity in terms of race and body type in media. In essence, I feel that the women who are depicted in media are depicted respectfully, but I feel that there needs to be more diversity in the types of women that are depicted.
-Ashley, 17, NJ, USA Women are often not well depicted in media, and it's time for that to change.
-Danielle, 18, NJ, USA It has gotten much better of late but we need to stop all the photoshopping. Be yourself. Be your age. Love your body. Find your own image and be the best you, you can be.
-Julie, 52, NJ, USA Although there is more of an awareness about accepting and depicting women of all shapes and sizes, which is beautiful. Kids need to be educated starting at an early age to not objectify the female body.
-Laurie, 38, NJ, USA Disappointed.
-Karen, 52, NJ, USA I think the media sets unrealistic expectations of beauty for women. The models you see in magazines have been airbrushed. The actresses have professionals applying makeup to disguise imperfections.
-Elena, 33, NJ, USA Women are depicted as sex objects and that is sad. Women have far more To contribute than their looks.
-Carrie, 41, NJ, USA Women are depicted as objects of desire a lot of the time but it seems to be getting better.
-Rebecca, 18, NJ, USA I don't think women are fairly depicted at all. An alien watching a tv commercial would think all women sleep in makeup with perfect hair, have perfect homes with perfect kids, all while perfectly dressed. Where is the mom, working 2 jobs who stayed up all night with a sick child?
-Linda, 66, NJ, USA The same way I feel about men depicted in the media. If you really want to know the whole story about any person you need to do your own research. Do not rely on the media to paint pictures for you.
-Meagan, 37, MD, USA Ambivalent. This is actually something I study for a living. There have been, and still are, lots and lots of negative depictions of women in the media: women being valued only for "youth" and "beauty," women being pitted against each other for men's attention, women being devalued as human beings. However, there are small kernels of hope; there are finally some (small, but growing) more positive depictions of women: women being valued as independent, capable individuals, women asserting their own agency and making their own decisions, women working together to help each other. These depictions aren't always perfect, but they exist. And we can encourage more of them by supporting positive depictions (and the women who create them) and refusing to support negative depictions, and further, by encouraging a dialogue about ALL of the depictions that acknowledges that they can be complicated. Complicated is good. Ultimately, life is complicated and we're all complicated people. So a "positive" depiction of a woman in the media may not be perfect, or may not "read" the same to different women, depending on their life experiences, but if it depicts women as complicated, fully formed people, that's a step in the right direction and definitely worth talking about.
-Trixie, 41, NJ, USA I feel like in many instances, they are depicted in a degrading manner. Photoshop being a large cause; changing body parts so that they are unrealistic but “ideal.” This takes away from the model’s actual, natural beauty.
-Natalie, 19, NJ/PA, USA Women are not treated fairly all around, but I believe we are making strides to changing the overall attitude towards women. Small baby steps unfortunately.
-Angela, 43, NJ, USA |