Sociology

From the time we are born we are bombarded by suggestions about image what it means to be a boy or girl, how your body should look, what clothes are in style.  Everything we see on television, in the magazines, or out on the street reflects a style and the choices we make define our future categorization.  We can never simply wear a shirt or have our hair a certain way because this same societal influence that defines our choice also affects how others view us.  In this way, even the most unintended choice affects our self image because of external input.  As children we have a tendency to react in negative ways to images different from our own because we want validation of the choices we have made for ourselves.  This cruelty of children towards one another can mold future self image when an individual doesnt have a healthy esteem.  How strongly we value the opinion of our peers is the biggest influence on our lifelong view of image.

When I was in secondary school, I remember struggling in my development of self.  I had the most trouble in trying to choose the right clothes to wear.  In elementary school we had to wear uniforms, so what to wear was never really an issue and most of the kids I played with away from school lived in my same area and came from similar economic and social backgrounds.  At this young age I had little concept of my body as an image and projection of me or at least the me I or others wanted me to be.  When secondary school began I found myself in a situation of trying to fit in.  I became concerned about what to wear to be cool.  The task was two-fold because once you pick a style then you also have to select the clothes within that style that will be accepted.  For boys there are so many options, you could be a skater kid, a rocker, punk, prep, athletic, gothic, etc.  Initially I thought it would just be a matter of choice of hobby or interest that would dictate the clothes I would wear, but I quickly found that it was more dictated by the kids in that social group.  For example, if I wasnt accepted for whatever reason by the kids in that style group then I would be made fun of or excluded even though we shared the same interests.  Then I would try and find another place Id fit into.  Sadly many kids end up being delegated into one group or another because of the perceptions of other children.  It is sad because a lot of kids get a complex about their interests because others in their image group would make fun of them.  The jock whose group often wore their letterman jackets would be ridiculed if he showed up in skater clothes sporting some punk rock band shirt even though he may love to watch skateboarding and listen to punk music.  On the other side, the skater kids would mock the jock for being a poser because he was wearing skate clothes, but didnt skate.  I remember having a lot of anxiety surrounding how I wanted to present myself and if I would be accepted for what I chose.
The media compounds the issue by dictating via reader polls or general fashion trends, what is or isnt in.  Hot or Not is a common themed spread in many tween and teen magazines.  Kids often use those magazines as their personal style guides and what was cool one week will be completely unstylish the next.  Sadly their own opinion of that fashion item may not have changed in the least, but they will still remove it from use because of what the media and their peers have expressed.  Pop culture via TV and film also impacts body image through the portrayal of same aged characters and actors.  Kids role model their favorite actors and want to emulate the characters they play, in this instance, body image is influenced by the choices made by these celebrities.  The media exposure also affects body image in a third way through brand marketing.  The best example of this is in the sporting industry.  The top rated players are generally the ones kids look up to and so their choices are greatly influenced by the brands these players are sponsored by or personally endorse.  For example, if a popular bmx rider is sponsored by FOX one year, but then sponsorship changes to Hurley.  All of a sudden FOX loses popularity and cool.  The product hasnt changed, nor has their representation of having bmx interest, but kids will begin wearing less of their product because their favorite rider switched teams.  Again a childs body image is being dictated by the media, but as a brand in this instance.

The same influences by society on body image and the choices we make also affect our judgments of others.  Overwhelmed and insecure as a teen, I too began judging those outside and within my own social circle.  I would find myself making fun of kids very different from myself or I would give kids within my own chosen style a hard time if I was jealous of them because I was insecure and thought they were cooler than me.  I may actually put them down to make myself feel better or superior.  Judgments in any group can become a process of definition.  In order to fine tune your projected image you have to decide who you dont want to be like and who doesnt belong.  Kids tend to exhibit the most cruelty in these instances.

The main reason media, celebrity and branding is so influential to children is because they havent developed the tools necessary to act independently.  I know in my case, I was so concerned about making the right decisions to keep from being ridiculed by my peers, that the image I adopted was far from a true expression of my self.  If I had a healthier self esteem at the time I would have made my style choices based on my own likes and dislikes versus every one elses opinions on the matter.  It seems to me that in this modern era body image is so highly regulated by society because of technological advancements.  Technology has brought the world to everyones front door and it can be overwhelming sifting through to find where and how we fit in.  Clothing options originated as a more utilitarian function dictated by job, location and social status.  In these instances body image via fashion was still dictated by society, but it was easily discernible.  More to the point children didnt have the option of what to wear because parents made those decisions for them.  Parents also had access to different clothes and dressed their children differently based on social status.  No matter what the dress was for utility or class, parents were still making those decisions.

Children were also not placed in the same environment they are today.  Public schools are where the majority of students attend and it is a mix of so many different social classes that status and dress is an issue for children where it didnt used to be.  This has caused kids to be far more judgmental because they are in social situations that would not have happened prior to the past 60 years or so.  It is no wonder children can be so cruel when faced with infinite options in this modern world.  It is simply overwhelming.