Self-image and looks are a major issue in the United States. Many teenagers feel out of place or that they do not fit in to the normal standard of society. Everyone knows that there is a certain look that the public pushes for, and that makes girls and some guys unhappy with how they look physically. I think that actions need to be taken against these “perfect looks” so teens can feel happy about themselves. This is an important issue that needs to be brought to our attention because most people do not see it as a problem. There are so many different magazines and TV commercials and shows that push for a woman to be very skinny, and sometimes on the verge of being unhealthily skinny. Programs like Photoshop and other picture editing programs
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For example, according to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Diseases, “47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures” (Levine 1998). That is almost over half of teenage girls that want to lose weight just by seeing ads in a magazine. I completely understand why this number is so high, but something needs to be done about it. Why do the magazine companies try so hard to make their celebrity or model look perfect? No one is perfect, and if I were one of those celebrities I would feel insulted that they tried to change me. I mean I understand if someone has a blemish on their face or a scratch, then I think that is fine to cover up. But, changing someone’s waist size or the color of their skin is wrong because it is completely and totally false advertising. I know that the companies do it on purpose and that is what infuriates me. Body image is an issue that as always bothered me. Girls should feel comfortable and confident in their own skin whether they are thin or heavy. I do not know if the idea of skinny being the right way to look will go away, but I hope it does for the sake of the next few generations. It scares me that the statistical numbers could rise and more teenagers would be unhappy with their weight all because of what they see in front of them. Technology is what most people depend on, and constantly seeing all of these temptations on the television or on the Internet is not healthy and something needs to be done about
For example, according to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Diseases, “47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures” (Levine 1998). That is almost over half of teenage girls that want to lose weight just by seeing ads in a magazine. I completely understand why this number is so high, but something needs to be done about it. Why do the magazine companies try so hard to make their celebrity or model look perfect? No one is perfect, and if I were one of those celebrities I would feel insulted that they tried to change me. I mean I understand if someone has a blemish on their face or a scratch, then I think that is fine to cover up. But, changing someone’s waist size or the color of their skin is wrong because it is completely and totally false advertising. I know that the companies do it on purpose and that is what infuriates me. Body image is an issue that as always bothered me. Girls should feel comfortable and confident in their own skin whether they are thin or heavy. I do not know if the idea of skinny being the right way to look will go away, but I hope it does for the sake of the next few generations. It scares me that the statistical numbers could rise and more teenagers would be unhappy with their weight all because of what they see in front of them. Technology is what most people depend on, and constantly seeing all of these temptations on the television or on the Internet is not healthy and something needs to be done about