RE: "Miss Representation"

Hello!

                So in class the past few days in my AP Language and Composition class we’ve been watching a documentary entitled “Miss Representation.” This documentary goes into depth about gender roles in today’s society, and it’s very recent, having been released in 2012.  While watching all of these ideas and images popping up on the screen, I found myself asking a few questions.

The film claims that a huge percentage of women in America have eating disorders – is this true?

                According to this website over ONE HALF of teenagers use “unhealthy weight control methods.” Although this doesn’t mean that they have eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, they’re smoking, or using laxatives, or skipping meals just to meet the criteria for a “perfect body.” That’s pretty gross. On the flip side, though, a comparatively small number of Americans develop anorexia or bulimia in their lifetimes – only 2 to 5 percent for adolescents, but all the way down into under a percent for Americans as a whole.

How much has teen pregnancy actually increased by in recent years?

                This site tells it all. Although the rate of teenagers having sex went down between ’95 and 2002, in the past few years it has skyrocketed. 14% of teenagers have “done the deed” by the time they’re 15, but by the time they’re 19, 70% of teenagers have had sex. Based on this information I would most definitely say that the amount of teens having sex has significantly increased, or at least remains high. But this information didn’t give me enough to conclude that teen pregnancy rates have gone up. One could probably attribute this to the sheer amount of sex that’s propagated by the media.

How much media exposure do we REALLY get?

                Here’s another website that gives a lot of good information. They claim that teenagers cram 10 and a half hours of media exposure into EVERY day. Although we’re only using the media devices for seven and a half hours, many teens use two forms of media at once. 66% of teenagers now have cell phones, which allows them even more exposure than ever before. It’s crazy how much time we really spend watching TV, or surfing the web.

               

                So after spending a good while researching this stuff, it’s kind of shocking how much of it is actually true. You see all of these facts on TV, but I guess I’ve always assumed that they’re just there to shock me into becoming a good little teenager and actually doing stuff like going outside (Who does that anymore?) Anyways, I’d really suggest watching “Miss Representation” for all of you out there that aren’t in AP Lang and Comp (Which I have a strange feeling is no one).

Thanks for reading

Matt Finley