Results

1) What is your gender?

This table projects that due to the nature of the stratified sampling approach that I utilized, there was a clear majority of students who took part in the questionnaire that were female, (68.16%), with males and a student who identified as gender fluid also participating in the primary research. After the population of students were divided into year groups, a select number of students were randomly sampled from classes in each year group to take part in the questionnaire.

2) What is your age?

This graph represents that there is a clear trend of 15 year old girls who took part in the primary research, the largest age group of female students. On the flip side, due to there being less males involved in the primary research, the male age groups of 14, 16 and 17 year olds were mode age of males involved. The range of all students varied between 12 – 18 years old.

3) Which of these forms of media do you regularly interact with?

This question was proposed to determine the most popular to least popular forms of mass media that students at Glenwood High School were regularly being exposed to. In relation to the comparison of males and females, both gender categories saw the highest form of mass media exposure being ‘Social Media,’ with 25/30 females (83.33%) and 11/13 males (84.61%) stating that they regularly take part in social media usage. The person who identified as gender fluid took a regular interest in all forms of mass media listed. The least popular forms of media were ‘Magazines/Newspapers’ and ‘Blogs.’ 1/13 males (7.69%) and 5/30 females (16.66%) and 1/1 (100%) gender fluid stated that they regularly took part in Magazine/Newspaper usage. 0/13 males, (0%) 6/30 females (20%) and 1/1 gender fluid (100%) utilized the media form of ‘blogs.’ This trend has proven that amongst the students of Glenwood High School, these forms of “print” media usage have declined, which could very well be due to the rise of “digital” mass media.

4) Approximately how many hours per day do you spend browsing the following forms of media?

In relation to the hours each individual spends on social media, three separate graphs have been constructed, one for each gender who participated, to make it easier for the audience to interpret the data gained, as there are multiple factors to analyze. From the primary data, it is very obvious that ‘Magazines/Newspapers,’ ‘Blogs’ and ‘Radio’ were the forms of media that males least spent their time utilizing. 11/13 (84.61%) of males spent ‘0’ hours per day reading ‘Magazines and Newspapers,’ 13/13 (100%) of males spent ‘0’ hours of their time each day reading blogs and 11/13 (84.61%) of males decided upon spending ‘0’ hours per day accessing the radio. On the other hand, spending between 1-2 hours per day on ‘Social’ media and ‘TV’ seem to be the most popular, with 8/13 (61.53%) of males utilizing that time to ‘Social’ media and 6/13 (46.15%) of males spending their 1-2 hours watching the ‘TV.’ Apart from these obvious interpretations, there is a wide spread range of hours each male spends on varying forms of media per day.

In relation to the above graph describing male media usage, there is a relationship between the least popular forms of media that the male and female genders are employing. The least popular form of media amongst females at Glenwood High School appears to be ‘Magazines/Newspapers,’ with 25/30 (83.33%) of females spending ‘0’ hours per day on this media form. Respectively, the results compared to the males are in par, with 24/30 (80%) of females also spending ‘0’ hours per day reading blogs, and 23/30 (76.66%) of females using their time to tune into the radio. The most popular platform of media amongst females is ‘Social’ media, which creates a similar pattern to the trend that aligns with males. While 9/30 (30%) of females are spending 1-2 hours per day on ‘Social’ media, against 8/13 (61.53%) of males which are spending that same time on the platform, ‘Social’ media is still the most popular platform amongst females. This is due to the varying nature that the data represents, females ‘Social’ media usage is a lot more varied amongst how many hours the individuals are spending on the platform, while the majority of males are spending 1-2 hours per day exploring the ‘Social’ media platforms.

This graph is a representation of the mass media usage of the gender fluid student at Glenwood High School. This student uses all forms of media on a daily basis, however, participates in ‘Social,’ ‘Video,’ and ‘Blog’ media usage the most (4+ hours per day). A trend that has formed is between all three genders and how they utilize ‘Social’ Media, which that data has figured that this is the most popular form of mass media amongst students varying from ages 12-18.

5) In your opinion, does the media have a strong influence on teenagers?

The data represented in this graph mostly supports my later secondary research as evidence that the media can have a strong hold on multiple aspects of an individual. 10/13 (76.92%) of males, 21/30 (70%) of females and 1/1 (100%) gender fluid students selected ‘Yes.’ In comparison, 3/13 (23.07%) of males, 8/30 (26.66%) of females and 0/1 (0%) of gender fluid students selected “Sometimes.” Out of all 44 students who participated in the questionnaires, only 1 female student selected ‘No.’

6) Do you strive to be like the celebrities/role models that you see in the media?

Overall, there was some major unexpected outcomes that occurred from this question that was proposed to students. Prior to conducting the questionnaires, some of the secondary research suggested that celebrities and role models showcased in the media had a great influence when exposed to adolescences, thriving the individuals to possibly want to “be like them,” through physical appearance, fashion, personality ect. However, this data mostly disregards some of the secondary research conducted by researchers that has been exposed to the public. Through interpreting this data, it is evident that 8/13 (61.53%) of males and 18/30 (60%) of females answered ‘No’ to this question. This question provided some interesting responses that came from the responders. For example, an 18 year old female stated that celebrities “don’t interest her” while a 16 year old female added, “Celebrities are normal people and are nothing special.” Another interesting response that came from a 17 year old female stated that she “had her own goals,” which is evidence that media exposure hasn’t been detrimental on her capability to want to achieve her on objectives, not just the ones that are displayed in the media. On the flip side 1/13 (7.69%) males, 7/30 (23.33%) females and 1/1 (100%) of gender fluid students answered ‘yes’ to this question, and responded mostly with answers relating to different aspects supporting “celebrity culture.” For example, one male respondent, aged 16 stated that he wanted to have “the body of a sports star” while a 15 year old female respondent stated that “celebrity’s bodies have a strong influence on teenage girls to always want to look like them.” Both of these statements relate to the celebrity influence on an adolescents body image, which have the potential to be harmful if they go to extreme lengths to “have the body of a celebrity.”

7) What do you think is attractive in a male versus a female?

This question was proposed to expose whether students at Glenwood High School fitted into the popular assumption that is exposed around media, “that we live in a society that supports physical appearance over human ability.” Overall, my results were mixed, showcasing the different elements that adolescents within the community found “attractive” within one another. The data represents that the most popular opinion comes from the females, as 10/30 (33.33%) stated that “personality” is an attractive feature. This evidence is supported by a 16 year old female, who stated “being polite/nice to other people is attractive because you can be physically attractive but if you are rude in person no one is going to find you attractive anymore.” On the other hand, 9/30 (30%) of females responded with an answer along the lines of “physical appearance” being attractive, with a 16 year old female respondent stating “Males are (stereotypically) and in real life more attractive when they are “ripped” or muscly.” This supports the generalization that physical appearance can be a key factor when discussing “attractiveness” in the same or opposite sex, and helps suggest that adolescents are being exposed to stereotypical statements that the media depictions youth to, such as masculinity is defined by the physical proportions of the man, such as their “having large muscles” or being “ripped.” Other responses across all 3 genders were varied as is represented in the data, with 7/13 (53.80%) of males stating that they found “nothing” attractive in either gender.

8) What factors have lead you to believe that this is the “ideal image?”

Due to evidence in the previous graphs shown, it is no surprise that ‘Social’ media, particularly amongst females, seems to be one of the most influential factors. 19/30 (63.33%) of females ticked ‘Social’ media as being a factor that has lead them to their views on “attractiveness” in the same and opposite sexes, which is evidence that this particular media form is continuing to heighten in its impact amongst adolescents. Amongst males, their results were more spread, with ‘friends and family’ being the most influential factor, with 5/13 (38.46%) males utilizing this source. The gender fluid student stated that ‘Social’ media, ‘Videos,’ ‘Blogs’ and ‘Other’ were the factors leading to their beliefs on “the ideal image.” They further explain why they ticked ‘Other’ and stated that they had certain views due to their “romantic and sexual identity.

9) Have you ever felt the need to change an aspect of yourself, such as your appearance or personality, to suit the media’s “standards?”

The data collected for this question was surprising 23/44 (52.27%) of students who took part in this primary research stated that they hadn’t felt the need to change an aspect of themselves in regards to the medias “standards.” Some trends that were shown in my interpretation of the data collected was that the majority of boys who answered “yes” were aged 14, while a large proportion of girls who answered “yes” were aged 17. Amongst the 15 year old females, the results were nearly split, with an almost equal amount of respondents responding with answers either relating to “yes” or “no.”

10) If answered YES to Question 9, please state what aspects about yourself that you have changed.

This data thoroughly relates to the last graph, as the results carry on from the previous question stated in the questionnaire. 15/30 (50%) of females and 8/13 (61.53%) of males stated an answer along the lines of them having changed “nothing” about themselves. However, the respondents who stated that they had changed an aspect about themselves, particularly in relation to “physical appearance,” responded with a lot of different in depth answers. 12/30 (40%) of females stated that a physical change had been due to the “media’s standards.” A 17 year old female stated that “the world and men like women to have a 22inch waist, skinny legs, big breasts and butt. I am trying to get that,” which was an eye opening response into the effects that media usage and peer pressure. A lot of other responses from all varying ages of females stated that they had started “wearing make-up, working out more, dying their hair and waxing their eyebrows” as they felt that they “didn’t look good,” which was a specific response from one 13 year old female. Amongst the males who answered that they had changed an aspect of themselves varying responses indicated that the changed has involved “hairstyles, being more talkative and wearing different types of clothes.” The gender fluid student stated that they had “sometimes felt the need to change an aspect about themselves but actually hadn’t.”

11) Do you believe that the media influences the types of products that you buy?

The results obtained from this graph were not that surprising, as secondary research conducted suggested that the media is continuing to market different products to influence youth as a whole. 24/30 (80%) of females were influenced by the products advertised by the media. Some responses that related to this included, “Yes, most media products can be persuasive and tell you what the ‘ideal’ image is. A lot of people including me are influenced by this to become society’s definition of ‘perfect’ or ‘attractive,” – 17 year old female. Also “Yes, if you see an attractive person advertising a cosmetic product it makes you think that it would make you attractive to.”- 14 year old female. For the males 9/13 (69.23%) were influenced by media marketing, with some responses including; “Yes, most people want to have the same things as celebrities that they see on TV, including me) - 17 year old male. Also “the media can influence you if the item becomes popular” – 16 year old male. From these responses it is evident that “celebrity culture” does exist, and that some individuals amongst our youth are persuaded to indulge in items, particularly if an “attractive” person or a celebrity advertises them. In relation to this, the gender fluid student stated that they are ‘sometimes’ influenced by media marketing, with their response stating “sometimes I am influenced by social media as it lets me know when my favorite bands have dropped a new album.” In relation to the students who responded with an answer that fitted into the ‘no’ category, only 5/30 (16.66%) of females and 4/13 (30.76%) of males stated that they were not influenced by media marketing. General answers across both sexes included “no I buy what I want to buy” and ‘it does not influence me personally, however, many people look at media for recommendations and reviews.”

12) Do you regularly purchase any of the following products to help enhance your appearance?

Amongst the female respondents, 18/30 (60%) stated that they bought ‘Expensive Clothes Shoes’ to help enhance their appearance. Make-Up was also followed closely behind with 17/30 (56.66%) of females indulging in this purchase. In reference to the males, the most popular response was ‘nothing,’ as 8/13 (61.53%) of respondents stated this, with ‘Expensive Clothes/Shoes’ being the next most popular response amongst the males - 4/14 (30.76%). The gender fluid student stated that they purchase all the categories of the products listed.

13) Have you ever bought any of the following products to help change your body image?

The results from this data represent that a large majority of students at Glenwood High School are not taking part in products that can help alter an individual’s body image. 21/30 (70%) of females selected the option ‘none of these’ which left the remaining 9 girls who expressed that they have experimented with different products to alter their body image. Among the females, ‘Meal Replacement Products’ proved to be the most popular, with cleansing diets coming in next. In regards to the males, only 1/13 (7.69%) had tried one of the following products listed, with the one male stating that he had tried a ‘Meal Replacement Product.’ The gender fluid student had tried ‘Muscle Enhancing Pills/Powders,’ ‘Weight Loss Pills/Powders’ and ‘Meal Replacement Products.’

14) Have you ever altered you’re eating habits to change your weight?

This graph shows that the results from either “yes” or “no” were pretty even which was surprising as I expected there to be more of a variation, due to previous secondary research completed. 16/30 (53.33%) females answered “yes,” while 14/30 (46.66%) answered “no.” Amongst the males category, the results were also surprisingly similar, with 7/13 (53.64%) males answering “Yes” and 6/13 (46.15%) answering “No,” showcasing an even divide between the two genders. The gender fluid student answered “Yes” to this question.

15) If answered YES to Question 14, please explain why.

Comparing between the male and female genders, a large number of candidates stated that this question did not apply to them, so their responses fell into the “Non Applicable” category. The rest of the responders spread their answers over the rest of the categories. Many candidates stated an answer that surrounded ‘Wight/Wellbeing, with 12/30 (40%) of females stating this and 4/13 (30.76%) of males doing the same. Some interesting answers relating included: “I needed to change my weight because I felt embarrassed standing in front of a crowd, looking at me and judging me. So I needed to think hard and get more serious about my weight” – 14 year old male. “Yes I have, I have gone to extreme lengths to alter my weight by going on various diets even ones for example – 1 slice of bread and fruit a day. In the long run impacting me emotionally, mentally and physically” – 16 year old female.” Society’s ideal body image is to be fit and all so by instinct I believe that this is a goal. Sometimes I have periods in my life where I am dedicated to having an ideal body so I wouldn’t get judged” – 17 year old female. All of these responses were incredibly eye opening and allowed myself to gain a deeper understanding into why adolescents in particular choose to alter their weight.

16) Do you believe that the media influences teenager’s decisions on the products they buy, their body image, self-esteem and views on plastic surgery?

FEMALE:

Three graphs have been created for each gender to allow for a clear and more in-depth analysis of the data collected. There are a few certain pieces of data that are considered “stand – outs,” this being the fact that 20/30 (66.66%) of females selected that the media very strongly influences teenagers in regards to their body image. Personally this was quite confronting but not surprising, as secondary research has suggested that the media is to “blame” for poor body image among adolescents. Another “stand-out” piece of information was that 17/30 (56.66%) of females selected that the media also very strongly influences teenagers in regards to their self-esteem. In regards to ‘Buying Products,’ the most popular response was that the media strongly influences teenagers, with 11/30 (36.66%) of females selecting this response. And lastly, in regards to ‘Plastic Surgery,’ the most picked response was that the media moderately influences teenagers, with 13/30 (43.33%) picking this option.

MALE:

Across the male category, there were far few less “stand – outs,” with a lot of the options being more evenly spread. The ‘Buying Products’ category saw a tie, with 4/13 (30.76%) selecting that the media moderately influences teenagers, and 4/13 (30.76%) stating that the media strongly influences teenagers. In regards to ‘Body Image,’ 5/13 (38.46%) of males selected that the media strongly influences teenagers. This result also occurred in the category ‘Self-Esteem,’ with 5/13 (38.46%) of males also selecting that the media strongly influences teenagers. For the last category, ‘Plastic Surgery,’ there was yet another tie, with 4/13 (30.76%) males selecting that the media somewhat influences teenagers, and 4/13 (30.76%) selecting that the media moderately influences teenagers.

GENDERFLUID:

The Gender fluid student identified 2 out of the 4 categories being, the media strongly influences teenagers. They also identified that in regards to body image, the media very strongly influences teenagers, which was in par with the overwhelming number of responses that females gave, as 20/30 of them picked that exact response.

Types Of Responses

Teenagers Views On Plastic Surgery

The most clear response from all three genders was ‘Personal Choice,’ with 15/30 (30%) of females, 5/13 (38.46%) and 1/1 (100%) gender fluid students stating a response to do with this. Some key responses were: “I believe if someone is unhappy with something on their body and are willing to spend extra money to make them feel better, I’m fully supportive. It is not my place to judge what people do to their bodies” – 13 year old female,” and “If someone isn’t happy with a certain part of their body, it’s their choice if they want to get plastic surgery. It’s none of my business and I’m not one to judge.” – 14 year old female. Another category that got a lot of response, particularly from females, 8/30 (26.66%) was answers that claimed that plastic surgery was a “waste of money.” An examples of this was: “Waste of money and it looks gross and fake, EG: Kim Kardashian,” – 13 year old female which is an example of an individual who is not in particular influenced and wanting to aspire to look like a celebrity. Males across this category were often spread but vague and often didn’t show much knowledge of the cosmetic surgery industry when expressing their opinions, an example being “I don’t care. It doesn’t even occur to me to think about it,” – 16 year old male.

18) How far would you go in the future to change your physical appearance?

The results from the data displayed above were shocking but unfortunately, not surprising. The “stand – out” result was that 15/30 (50%) of females would go as far as having cosmetic surgery in the future to alter their appearance. Examples of this type of response were: “plastic surgery to make me look better,” – 15 year old girl, “get nose done,” – 15 year old girl and “I would never do anything that I was 100% sure I wanted to do to myself but I do know I want my boobs and lips done” – 16 year old girl. The second tope response from males was surrounding ‘Make-Up,’ with a certain response being: “I would just stay with wearing make-up or getting the latest fashion trends just to boost my self-esteem.” – 17 year old girl. Amongst the males, apart from the responses that stated they wanted to do “nothing” to themselves, engaging in ‘Working Out/Eating Healthier’ seemed to be the next most popular option with 4/13 (30.76%) males stating an answer that was in relation to this. Examples of this type of response were: “just to have a fit body,” – 16 year old male and “exercise more and eat healthier because that’s all I’d want to do.” – 17 year old male. The 14 year gender fluid student stated that “other than a breast reduction and maybe a tummy tuck as well as a testosterone booster, not anything else.”