THE EFFECTS OF BROADCASTING MEDIA ON THE DESIRE FOR COSMETIC USE BY YOUNG WOMEN (BODY ENHANCEMENT)

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria. A total of 222 participants consisting offemale students in University of Lagos, Lagos States, Nigeria was used for the study. The data were subjected to Chi-square and Pearson multiple product correlation for data analysis.The present study established that there is a significcant effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria. Moreso, the study also reveals that There are reasons of cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria. The finding of the study also shows that there are types of broadcasting media that is used in advertising cosmtic use in Nigeria. The finding of the study further reveals that there is a significant relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria. It was therefore concluded that there is a significant relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria. It was recommended that The increased media literacy training should be encourgaed as it is advantageous for young women.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

          A person's physical appearance plays a significant role in their personal identity, and this relationship to how they view themselves starts early in life (Walker et al.,2019; Davison and Birch 2001). Despite the fact that women's natural desires for symmetry and a tiny waist-to-hip ratio influence how they perceive beauty (Swami and Furnham 2008), the socio-cultural environment can also influence perceptions of attractiveness (Cafri et al. 2005). According to the Tripartite Influence Model (Thompson et al. 1999), parents, the media, and peers are the three main sociocultural influencers that propagate and reinforce beauty standards.Two factors—internalization of beauty ideals and appearance comparison—mediate these impacts. When someone adopts actions to fulfil society's standards of beauty and accepts those standards, internalisation takes place. People who evaluate and directly compare themselves to others based only on appearance are said to be engaging in appearance comparison. According to some theories, issues with body image, such as body dissatisfaction, can arise when someone internalises beauty standards about appearances (those portrayed by the media or reinforced by parents) that they are unable to meet and/or regularly compares their appearance to others (e.g., peers) (Thompson et al. 1999).

The dissemination of messages about the "ideal body" in magazines, newspapers, and television programmes has a significant impact on how cultures see body image, including what body type and attire are appropriate. While conventional media, such as television and publications, have been used to study the effects of media messages on women's body image, less is known about how newer forms, such as broadcasting media, influence affect the desire to use cosmetics among young women (Groesz et al. 2002).

The media's emphasis on physical beauty in today's culture is maybe more powerful than it has ever been, particularly among younger audiences and through emerging media platforms like social networking sites (SNS) (Fardouly andVartanian 2016). Instagram is a free social networking site where users may use a mobile app to edit and share images and videos. Compared to other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram places more emphasis on photographs than on textual content. Users are encouraged to see and remark on other users' photographs that are shown on social networking sites (SNS), particularly Instagram, due to its picture-oriented and visual nature (Pempek et al. 2009). The way one looks can have a big impact on whether or not other people see and remark on these photos.For instance, Ringrose (2011) discovered that young females in Britain reported often receiving remarks on their physical appearance from others who saw their social media profiles. Therefore, how we come across on social media may affect how others see us and, in certain cases, even motivate them to take action (De Vries et al. 2014). People could, for instance, experiment with low-key appearance modifications including hair colouring, wardrobe modifications, or makeup application techniques. In other cases, such as when cosmetic improvements are made, the modifications could be more significant and long-lasting. In these situations, the bodily alterations may have a positive or negative impact on their well-being, which might have serious ramifications for their psycho-physical functioning (Castle et al. 2002).

The daily lives of young adults in Britain are heavily reliant on social media use. According to data from the Office for National Statistics (2017), social networking is the most common online activity for individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 (96%) and 25 and 34 (88%). Social media's pervasive effect isn't always good, though. An increase in eating disorders and body image issues has been linked to increased usage of social media (Holland and Tiggemann 2016). Instagram is one of the social media platforms that has the most negative effects on young people's mental health and wellbeing, according to other studies (The Royal Society for Public Health 2017). In a similar vein, Brown and Tiggemann's (2016) study discovered that looking at photos of gorgeous friends and celebrities on Instagram lowers women's self-esteem and body image.All of these results point to the possibility that excessive use of social networking sites, particularly those that feature images, may be detrimental to certain people's psychological and body image, leading to issues like poor self-esteem and a higher chance of developing anxiety and depression (Brown and Tiggemann 2016; Holland and Tiggemann 2016; The Royal Society for Public Health 2017).

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (2017), the percentage of young individuals undergoing cosmetic treatments increased from 17.2% in 2014 to 18.2% in 2017, coinciding with the rising trend in social media use. Using surgical and medical methods, cosmetic surgery aims to preserve, restore, or improve a person's outward look (Swami et al. 2009, p. 1). Reconstructive surgery is different from cosmetic surgery in that it involves surgery to return function or a natural appearance.It is frequently used to the body's deformed structures, such as those brought on by trauma or illness. On the other hand, cosmetic surgery is done on the body's natural tissues and is typically done to enhance shape and look (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2018). Cosmetic surgery has become an increasingly popular means of enhancing one’s appearance, with around 30,000 procedures being carried out last year according to the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (2017), and is an industry that is heavily influenced by ‘popular culture’. For example, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2013) reported an increase in requests for surgery as a result of social media photo sharing. Of the procedures mostly likely to be requested as a result of social media influence were rhinoplasty, Botox and facelifts, suggesting that young people may be influenced to undergo cosmetic procedures by what they see online. Similarly, a study has shown that among cosmetic surgery patients, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are high in use and engagement for information regarding procedures, such as practice information, before and-after photographs, and contests (Sorice et al. 2017). However, despite the growing popularity in cosmetic procedures, the social and psychological factors that influence attitudes towards cosmetic surgery are yet to be fully explored. It is based on this background that the present study seek to examine the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women (body enhancement).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

          With the explosion of social media and more than a billion users on Facebook alone (Statistic Brain, 2014), social media consumers are being inundated with thousands of images on a daily basis. Social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram are filled with image content that reaches millions of people, including adolescent and young adult females. Many of these images play into body perfect ideals and encourage the thin female body-type standard. Researchers have shown a direct relationship between media usage and low body satisfaction among women and girls (KnoblochWesterwick & Crane, 2012; Levine & Murnen, 2009), and concern is growing as to how body dissatisfaction may lead to eating disorders, low self-esteem, and other physical and mental health issues. The  broadcasting media and its exploitation of thin body-types, especially in females, puts immense pressure on females, regardless of age. The internalization of wanting to look smooth and adorable by everyone has affected a lot of young females due to what they see and hear from the various braodcasting media. It is based on this backdrop that the present study seek to examine the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women (body enhancement) in Nigeria.

1.3 Research Questions

          The following questions guided the present study;

1. What are the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria?

2.  What are the  reasons of cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria?

3. What are the the types of broadcasting media that is used in advertising cosmtic use inNigeria?

4. What is relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

          The main objective of this study is to examine how broadcasting media affect  the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To ascertain the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria

2. To identify the  reasons of cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria

3. To enlist the types of broadcasting media that is used in advertising cosmtic use inNigeria

To determine the relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria.

1.5 Researh Hypotheses

          The follwing were hypothesized in this study;

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significcant effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria.

H1: There is a significcant effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria

Hypothesis 2

H02: There are no reasons of cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria.

H02: There are reasons of cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria.

Hypothesis 3

H0: There are no types of broadcasting media that is used in advertising cosmtic use in Nigeria.

H1: There are types of broadcasting media that is used in advertising cosmtic use in Nigeria.

Hypothesis 4

H0: There is no significant relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria

H1: There is a significant relationship between broadcasting media and the desire for cosmetic use in Nigeria.

1.6 Significance of the Study

          The  study will be of importance to cosmetic firms, other business persons, researchers and the general public as a whole;

          The findings of this study will assist in providing insight into how broadcasting media might fuel body dissatisfaction issues and social comparison behavior in young females thereby increasing the desire to use cosmetics.

          The findings of this study will help cosmetic firms in Nigeria and other business persons to know the power of broadcasting media in creating awareness for their products for easy and efficiency productivity and performances.

          Through understanding how broadcasting media impacts  body satisfaction in young females, industry professionals and educators can better understand how to reach out to this audience in a way that helps promote a healthy lifestyle and diminish feelings of body dissatisfaction in adolescent and young adult females.

          The findings of this study will fill a dearth in literature and act as a source of reference to other researchers who are interested in this topic in other part of Nigeria or country.

1.7 Scope of the Study

          This study is limited to the effect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria. Respondents from this study were only limited to university students in University of Lagos, Nigeria.

1.8 Justification of the Study

          The majority of previous studies examining the relationship between body satisfaction and social comparison behavior have concentrated on media images in traditional mediums, i.e. television and magazine ads; however, few to none have studied the implications of social media on desires for cosmetic use issues. The aim of the present study is to examine theeffect of broadcasting media on the desire for cosmetic use by young women in Nigeria aged 15-24.

Although social media is a relatively new mode of communication, the implications this image-saturated media could have on adolescent and young adult females’ body satisfaction is worth exploring. This is a time in a female’s life when body dissatisfaction can be very high (Tiggemann, 2006). Females are also more susceptible to thin-ideal images than males, making females have an increased risk of being dissatisfied with their bodies (Jones, 2001). “Female beauty is inextricably linked to thinness, with low body weight defined as a central attribute and key evaluative dimension of physical attractiveness” (p.59), and while males are also targets of cultural ideals of attractiveness such as a muscular build, “girls respond with greater intensityand consequently experience greater body image dissatisfaction than boys” (Lawler & Nixon, 2011, p. 60). Not only are females more susceptible to body image issues, but specifically adolescent and young adult females, as this is a time when self-evaluations are performed (Jones, 2001). Adolescence is also when body image is solidifying and increased concern over body weight develops through social, cognitive, and physical changes occurringduring this time (Lawler & Nixon, 2011). The focus of adolescent and young adult females between the ages of 15 and 24 puts the majority of females participating in this study in the high school and college aged group.

Social settings like high school and college can also increase exposure to peer pressure and sociocultural pressures to be thin. Adolescents tend to discuss appearance between peers more frequently than adults do, which contributes to greater body dissatisfaction (Lawler & Nixon, 2011). Since adolescent and young adult females have a heightened sensitivity to body image and body satisfaction issues as well as increased pressure from sources like peers and the media to be thin, it is warranted that the current study examine how social media may also impact body satisfaction in this target group.

Thus, this study explores how adolescent and young adult females who use social media are processing and internalizing thin-ideal images and the effects it has on their body satisfaction.