Pages: 47-59

Abstract

The media’s role in the projection of the perfect body image has been widely highlighted in discussions around body dissatisfaction. Several research works of Western origin abound that investigate the influence of the media on body image perception especially among women. This study therefore seeks to investigate the applicability of the claims and conclusions from research conducted in the West to the particular circumstances of adolescent girls living in Lagos Nigeria where culture and traditional beliefs exert a strong influence on everyday life, even for those living in modern cities with more access to Western media consumables. For this research, data was collected and analyzed to test the trueness or otherwise of several hypotheses that were derived from literature. Importantly, this study also highlights some philosophical considerations around beauty and body image that seldom appear in academic discussions on the subject of body image and dissatisfaction.