DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2018.v06i05.019

Pages: 1161-1165

This paper is premised on the findings of a study that focused on examining the perception university students have concerning their body appearance in relation to what the media portrays as an ‘ideal body image’. University students spend most of their time on social and mainstream media where they get to observe, like and share the ‘ideal images’ portrayed by the media. Studies have shown that the unrealistic body images portrayed as ‘ideal’ by the media causes individuals to develop negative body images which eventually results into depression, low self-esteem and eating disorder. The study was conducted in Kirinyaga University, Kenya, where a convenience sample of 251 students was used.