Today, we all spend a significant portion of our time in front of television screens or on social media platforms. Within these media spaces, while the female body is often placed at the center, digital interventions are applied to bodies regardless of gender, shaping how bodies are supposed to look, and these edited images are then presented to society. Through advertisements, popular press, television programs, and films, pre-determined and idealized body representations are widely disseminated, thereby reinforcing the social circulation of ideal body images. This notion of the “ideal body” and “ideal beauty,” produced and continuously reproduced by the media, can be considered a sociocultural source of pressure on individuals. In everyday life, people are intensely exposed to stimuli related to physical appearance. Store windows, magazines, social media platforms, and the increasing prevalence and accessibility of aesthetic surgical procedures influence individuals’ perceptions of their bodies and create appearance-focused pressure.
Understanding Body Image As A Mental Representation
The concept of body image is defined as a “mental representation” that an individual forms in their mind regarding their own body. Rather than being an evaluation based on objective criteria, this representation is a subjective perception shaped by the person’s mental processes. It is also directly related to how individuals see themselves when they look in the mirror and how they mentally interpret the form and appearance of their bodies.
Body image is not a static construct; on the contrary, it is open to change and is shaped intensively, especially during the early years of life. Although the first decade is considered a critical period during which body image is continuously constructed, this process is not limited to childhood alone. Evaluations of one’s body develop within a dynamic process that continues throughout life through interactions with the surrounding environment.
Multiple factors play a role in the formation of body image. These factors can be considered within the scope of individuals’ perceptions of their bodies, attitudes, cognitive evaluations, emotional responses, and behavioral patterns. At the same time, the existence of a socially accepted notion of an “ideal body” is noteworthy. In the media, this ideal body is continuously reproduced through specific concepts, key expressions, and visual representations.
For example, thinness, muscularity, and physical fitness are associated with youth, whereas the aging body becomes a source of concern for the individual. In this context, being overweight, appearing unkempt, or showing signs of aging are presented as conditions to be avoided and are associated with negative meanings. However, the perception of the ideal body is not universal; it varies according to cultural context. Beauty and body norms that are valid within a particular culture reach individuals through various sociocultural transmission channels and are internalized over time. This internalization process plays a decisive role in whether individuals experience satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their own bodies. For instance, in some Asian societies, extremely low body weight is accepted as a measure of “ideal beauty,” and women who exceed this standard may be subjected to negative labeling.
Media As A Powerful Carrier Of Ideal Body Standards
Today, the media plays a decisive role in shaping body perception. With the decline of print media, television and digital platforms have become the most powerful carriers of body image ideals. Body representations presented in television programs, series, and music videos do not merely provide entertainment or information; they also convey implicit messages about “how one should look.” The bodies featured in such content are often selected according to specific criteria, increasing viewers’ tendency to question their own bodies.
Another powerful factor influencing body image is social media. With the widespread use of the internet, individuals are intensely exposed to idealized body images throughout the day. Content shared on social media mostly consists of edited, filtered, and unrealistic visuals. This situation lays the groundwork for individuals to compare themselves with others and to develop feelings of inadequacy and exclusion. Yet, the concept of the “ideal body” presented in the media is often unrealistic and artificially constructed.
These orientations regarding body perception do not begin in adulthood; they are constructed from childhood onward. Through toys, cartoons, and media content, children are exposed to certain body patterns, which become an important part of self-perception during adolescence. Common media pairings such as good–beautiful and bad–ugly can lead to the erroneous association between physical appearance and personal worth.
The influence of the media on body perception is an undeniable reality; however, this influence is not a phenomenon that can be entirely avoided or ignored. In today’s world, television, social media, and popular culture should not be viewed as elements that can be removed from individuals’ lives, but rather as areas in which the way one relates to them needs to be restructured. Instead of aiming to completely withdraw from media, a healthier approach is to become aware of the psychological effects of such content and to develop a critical distance from it.
Clinical Perspective: Perfectionism, Self-Worth, And Compassion
From a clinical perspective, difficulties related to body perception are often closely linked to the way individuals relate to themselves. A uniform beauty ideal imposed by society can lead individuals to objectify their own bodies and to tie their self-worth to external standards. However, beauty is not a concept that can be reduced to a single form; diversity is a fundamental part of human nature. Differences between bodies are not flaws, but natural reflections of individual existence.
Feeling compelled to present oneself for others’ approval is often associated with early life experiences, conditional acceptance, and learned needs for approval. As frequently observed in therapeutic processes, a harsh and critical attitude toward one’s own body reflects internalized external voices. At this point, restructuring the relationship with the body requires a shift from a judgmental perspective to an accepting and compassionate stance.
Feeling dissatisfaction with certain aspects of one’s body is a human experience; however, when this dissatisfaction becomes the primary determinant of self-worth, it can undermine psychological well-being. Expectations of perfection, meanwhile, are among the fundamental cognitive distortions that frequently fuel anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and shame in clinical practice. Unrealistic perfectionistic standards lead individuals to develop a persistent sense of deficiency regarding their bodies.
Therefore, one of the essential steps in establishing a healthier relationship with body image is accepting that perfection is neither an attainable nor a sustainable goal and creating space for individuals to build a more compassionate connection with themselves.