Whilst the western world is continuing to develop, the way women are presented in the media is constantly changing. As part of this controversial issue, Lubaina Rahman, a student at Wallington Girls, decided to produce a music video to the song ‘Pretty Hurts’ by Beyoncé to address her ideas about this issue.

“I think that in media, women are often objectified sexually to appeal to men. The media puts pressure on women of all ages to feel and look a certain way, as well as men, which causes insecurity among those that are still young and growing,” says Lubaina Rahman, after asking her how she thinks women in the media are presented.

With the growing amount of technology all over the world, young people are finding it easier and easier to access the media through new technology and the internet. This often puts more people at risk of becoming pressurised to look or act a certain way and makes young people far more vulnerable.

“I feel as though women are sometimes judged if they are assertive about what they want when it comes to media, which is why I decided to make this video.” she says. “I feel strongly about this topic because I think that media significantly influences young people and so it should not present misconstrued ideals of women to the upcoming generation. The purpose of the video is to show that it should not be a necessity to look a certain way; everyone should be able to feel beautiful because the person you are at heart is what really counts.”

The last ten years has seen more young people on the planet than ever before and it is important that they develop positive and strong minds as they grow up. This is essential so that their progress is not hindered by the negative impacts of media, which can cause insecurity and in some cases, mental health problems.

“Finally, a great way to deal with this issue is to promote diversity through social media, this way young people can continue to accept that all types of people, with all different appearances and backgrounds can be equal in society," says Lubaina Rahman, when she was asked how this issue could be dealt with. "After all, the world is much more exciting with so much diversity.”  

Ria Ryan, Nonsuch High School for Girls