Why does the media affect women more than men?

Question

You often hear the claim that women of all ages are unduly affected by media images. Why do men seem immune to this? Also, isn't it possible that women give this credence by allowing themselves to be affected by something that is wholly irrelevant?

Answer 1

Im a dude, your a dude, she's a dude, were all dudes yeah!!!

Answer 2

I think you are right that women do give credence to something irrelevant, but then I don't know .... perhaps women consume more media than men? I don't watch TV anymore because there was little on it for men, and most magazines are aimed at women too. Also the media for women places greater emphasis on things like fashion, image and celebrities whereas for men it is more about interests rather than appearance.

Unfortunately men are catching up as Tracey said, but not this one. I don't think it's even possible for a full grown man to have 28 inch waist without having organs removed. But overall men are thankfully still not as easily mislead or as image conscious as women.

Answer 3

Pure genius of a question.  Yes!  Basically most of us are programmable to a certain degree by the media.  In the cave people's time, women hung close together in the caves.  Women survived better in a group.

Today that group mentality still exists.  Women tend to have better social support than most men.

For whatever reason, I've noticed women being affected more than men per certain images/news stories, etc.

At this point I have to agree that men also are affected-bottom line, many times the media tells us what to think!  Bad economy, well the media is buzzing about mosquitoes or pedophiles or high food prices, etc.

Guess what all the women are talking about?  Yes that's right...even Yahoo has a name for it-buzzing.

So the media fills up our minds, to forget say a bad economy (example) and to program us.

I personally believe since women want security that the media plays on this.  Scaring them so they don't complain about how life is RIGHT NOW

for them.  Scaring them so they don't complain as much when their hubby loses his job ("there are people starving in.....")  

Yes we are feared to death by the media.  Men used to be more easily swayed in the past.  Today it is the women.  I'm rambling...my point is perhaps the more the economy takes a downturn

(or the more an unpopular war is fought) then perhaps the more the media seeks out to control the minds of women today.

Edit-men often follow their woman.*  And women today follow the media...a Pied Piper effect.  The question is, where are we being led?

Answer 4

The media recognizes 80% or so of it's market are women.

T.V programming ( and commercials) along with the majority of magazines are intended to appeal to women.

In short , the reason media has a greater influence on women is , They are trying to.

Why are men immune ? , I can only speak for myself and quote the words of a famous American philosopher " I yam what yam and that's all what I yam "

Answer 5

To tell the complete truth..girls don't wanna read about men when the have problems they want to read about women that inspire them and thier cute outfits, ect.

guys on the other hand like to see woman aswell because there hot (if you know what i mean)

no guy wants to be watching some guy they wanna be watching some girl.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

Answer 6

it doesn't,media affects men more than women.

have you seen every loves raymond(stupid show) raymond is an idiot while his wife is the smart.

what about commercials? have you seen the swifter commercial where they women compare men with mops.

what about movies where the men are the violent ones,or where every father that has the kids,the mother is dead.

what are satan's creatures saying that men should never get custody of kids unless the mother is dead.

so there you have it,men are affected my media more than women.

Answer 7

If you were a good feminist you would know that nothing is ever womens' fault. Its either The Patriarchy or single male animal acting alone on his own sick instincts.

Edit

Rio: "Jim, mutterhals isn't a good feminist. She's never been any kind of feminist, and as far as I can see, she's d**n proud of it".

Er... Thanks Rio for another great insight  (LOL!)

Answer 8

Yes of course women are far more effected by the media but not because we are so vulnerable to outside stimuli.

The reason is far more simple, its because the vast majority of all television shows are made for women. There is more print media directed at women then men. We are overwhelmed with input so its logical that we are more effected by it.

Answer 9

I think the media reflects society rather than the other way round. The stereotypes and attitudes only show what's really out there - the media wants people to relate to it, and so it tries to appeal to the majority. The media may cling on to stereotypes, but it doesn't create them.

I'd say that men are affected the same amount, but in different ways. The concept of appearance and beauty has always been more important to women, and a woman's own self-esteem is often based on her looks. The media simply plays on this. Men's concerns are different, but can be exploited in the same way.

Good question.

Answer 10

I don't think men are immune at all. I think they are affected by media imagines just as much as women are. The difference, I think, is that men aren't as vocal about it as women are.

The media sets out ideals for both sexes, and those ideals constantly evolve. Spend the afternoon people-watching at your local mall and you will see that just about everybody is trying to fit into those ideals.

Answer 11

women haven't yet completely come out from under the belief that men are smarter and women should obey.  if you notice, most commercials hawking vacuums, cleaning products, hair products, etc., picture men 'teaching/enlightning' women about the products - why is that?  would it be less believable if a woman was teaching/enlightning another woman?  there have been countless studies and are college courses in the science of manipulative marketing techniques, which, to my way of thinking, further supports my opening statement.

Answer 12

We men are subject to the same images as women.  But what makes matters worse, we must have big bucks, which can substitute for looks, as well.  Most men have the attitude that they look very good, and if someone does not think so we just accept it and move on, thinking of our other attributes along the way.  I think women prize their beauty above all things, and think it will get them everything in life.  We men do not.

Answer 13

Media images are designed to affect, and  resisting can be hard. Men are probably just as strongly affected as women, but not in the same ways - ads aimed at men are more prone to saying, "This watch/car/deodorant is really cool and manly! Buy it!" while ads adressing women often have a message about improving your body.

Answer 14

women are easier to be influenced, harder to unite

guys are easier to unite, harder to get influenced

Answer 15

Jim, mutterhals isn't a good feminist. She's never been any kind of feminist, and as far as I can see, she's d**n proud of it.

I think it partly has to do with the fact that most advertising and media images are directed specifically at women. It also has to do with the prevalence of certain messages over others; if you hear it enough, you will inevitably start to consider it. But men aren't as immune to this as they seem. They just have yet to speak up about it.

Answer 16

I'm not sure that men ARE less affected by it, at least not among younger men.

The growth rates of anorexia and bulimia in males is at epidemic proportions. Young men all want to look like Calvin Klein models, with 28 inch waists and washboard abs. I think men are rapidly catching up with women when it comes to low self-esteem brought on by media images.