Research On Male Appearance Anxiety In The New Media Environment

"Male appearance anxiety" is a new media phenomenon that is attracting attention in recent years.Men are paying more attention to their appearance,and makeup,fitness and plastic surgery have become the norm in their daily lives.Some men even have a strong inferiority complex because of their appearance,which affects their real life.The excessive importance they place on their appearance breaks the traditional view that "only women have appearance anxiety,men ignore appearance".This phenomenon arises against the background that new media are deeply embedded in daily life and become the "infrastructure" of society,and the presence of "appearance" in media communication becomes more and more obvious as the body comes to the front again.Therefore,an analysis of the phenomenon of "male appearance anxiety" from the perspective of new media can help us understand the reasons for the emergence of "male appearance anxiety" in this era,as well as enhance the possibility of rational and objective dialogue between the sexes and alleviate social conflicts.In this study,in-depth interviews were conducted using a combination of "purposive sampling" and "snowball sampling" to identify interviewees.Through communication with them an attempt was made to understand the inner state and behavioral patterns of appearance-anxious men.At the same time,we have been conducting participatory observation to observe the media performance of men with appearance anxiety from an objective perspective,to enter the group of men with appearance anxiety,to dilute the gender and identity gap,and to grasp their real thoughts.Based on the current media environment and consumer environment,we explore the psychological state and media self-presentation of men with appearance anxiety,and on this basis,we explore the role of the new media in the formation of the problem of "male appearance anxiety".The study finds that "appearance bonus," "male consumption," and "male appearance being included in public discussion" are the social and cultural backgrounds of "male appearance anxiety.The socio-cultural background of "male appearance anxiety" exists.New media breeds new situations,and new situations produce new behaviors.In the more vivid communication environment nurtured by the new media and emphasizing "appearance",men with appearance anxiety cannot escape from the presentation of appearance in their media interactions,and while they perform"handsome appearance" in the "front stage",they also perform "handsome appearance"in the "front stage".While performing "handsome appearance" in the "front stage",they also make "corrections" silently in the "back stage".As a tool of "hands-on state",the new media is not only the stage they actively choose to present,but also the existence with unique communication characteristics.The new media treats "appearance" as the subject of communication,creating a media environment where "everyone is handsome",which makes men with "low self-identity" more and more anxious in comparison.Through the "invisible" media power operation,they voluntarily accept the "appearance scrutiny" from the media,and subconsciously acquiesce in the change of view that "male appearance also needs to be seen".The new media also had the need to make profits,and the complicity with consumer culture further expanded the value of men’s appearance,and "handsome appearance" became a market seller and a measure of male value.Appearance becomes a symbol,and driven by desire,the male individual becomes a consumer product,and the symbol of "handsome" appearance becomes the male itself.The new media is ubiquitous but easily ignored,behind which it consciously manipulates the male consciousness implicitly and powerfully from the perspective of individual psychology,environment and meaning and value,stimulating male appearance anxiety.In the process of shifting from "instrumentalism" to "survivalism",the media’s own communication characteristics,operational logic and collusion with consumer culture are the media causes of male appearance anxiety,and the genes of the new media are hidden in every aspect of society.The genes of the new media are hidden in every aspect of society.