Everyone has a different vision of what is beautiful. Why are we never happy with the way we look? Why are we so quick to compare ourselves to others? The simple answer to these questions is: Average. The media constantly shows images of what is considered beautiful. These images greatly influence society and often influence how people see themselves. Most of these images are unrealistic and convey unhealthy expectations to women; however, most women are willing to do whatever they can to achieve this look. In recent times, the concept of thin at all costs defines our culture. The media constructs the idea of ​​distorted body images, creating the belief that beauty is achieved through body weight. America, but women and girls more specifically, are so consumed with having the perfect, thin body. Mass media is believed to help encourage these thoughts, thoughts of unrealistically thin body ideals, ideals that are generally unattainable for many women. Thinness standards are seen in almost every image in the media; these images represent the sociocultural model of attractiveness. When women are constantly exposed to images like this, it sends them a message about how they need to look to be deemed attractive. In today's society, the Kardashians are an example of this. The media continually shows these girls in swimsuits or posing in magazines, women and girls who see these gorgeous, successful women will immediately want to look like them. Recently, interestingly enough, the Kardashians' new Quick Trim commercial is all over TV. The commercial promotes Quick Trim, a new supplement for rapid weight loss. These girls are ultimately promoting a thin body image and of course society will accept... middle of paper... for being thin. The media is everywhere too; these ideas are in the shows we watch, the commercials, the advertisements, and the celebrities we look up to. The media constructs the notion of distorted body images, creating the idea that beauty is achieved through body weight. The images shown in the media encourage people to represent someone else's idea of ​​perfection. The mass media have succeeded in shaping our culture and influencing public opinion. The media is promoting and helping these types of eating disorders found in today's society. We need to stop the received notion of beauty that defines thinness and girls need to recognize that beauty is and can be achieved in many different ways. Self-harm is not in any way, shape or form the path to take when seeking beauty. Unfortunately, the media continues to have a large impact on the way many teenage girls see themselves on a daily basis.