Since the birth of communication, the media has been used to convey information to anyone willing to absorb it. It began with the publications of newspapers and magazines. It reached new heights with the inventions of the radio, television, and Internet, and now with smartphones the media is accessible at any given time in our daily lives. With each new form of communication the media has been given a stronger hold on our society, which has given it the ability to shape popular culture and even influence public opinion. The downfall of this is that the power of media is often abused. Biased media causes people to strive for someone else’s idea of perfect, while forgetting their own goals. Stereotypes formed by the media such as, gorgeous,
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Until the media starts discerning reality from what they are presenting, people will continue to suffer. In an article about the effects of the media on body image, Scott Mogul describes just how unrealistic advertisements, especially those in the fashion market, can be, “Although advertising aims to convince us to buy things, ads seldom portray people that look like us. The average female fashion model wears a size two or four, for instance, while the average American woman wears a size 12 to 14. Clothing designers often say they only use very thin models because the clothes simply look better on them. In addition, photos of models in print are often touched up in order to disguise minor flaws or make the model appear even skinnier that she really is. The bottom line is that the body image advertising portrays seldom looks like the people the ads are aimed at.” If the media presented products advertised by normal people without the extra glamor for just one day, consumers would see this truth behind advertising. In addition to this, if the public could realize that advertising is only something to get one’s attention and not an accurate portrayal of how one should look, there would be fewer problems. Until either is accomplished, the negative effects will continue to be felt by the …show more content…
It was a drug designed for obese individuals, but due to glamorous advertising techniques used by the manufacturers, individuals who were only slightly overweight began using the drug. Many of the people who used the drug inappropriately experienced pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease, and neurotoxicity (Redux). Other drugs, such as steroids, have been widely proven to cause stunted growth, shrinkage of the testes, and brain cancer. Many student athletes, mainly men, use these performance enhancers in an attempt to become more muscular. The problem is also present in females, as some women use them as diet pills and laxatives. The abuse of steroids is a result of the young person’s desire to look and perform as well as the athletes shown in the media, as well as inaccurate advertising of the drugs
Until the media starts discerning reality from what they are presenting, people will continue to suffer. In an article about the effects of the media on body image, Scott Mogul describes just how unrealistic advertisements, especially those in the fashion market, can be, “Although advertising aims to convince us to buy things, ads seldom portray people that look like us. The average female fashion model wears a size two or four, for instance, while the average American woman wears a size 12 to 14. Clothing designers often say they only use very thin models because the clothes simply look better on them. In addition, photos of models in print are often touched up in order to disguise minor flaws or make the model appear even skinnier that she really is. The bottom line is that the body image advertising portrays seldom looks like the people the ads are aimed at.” If the media presented products advertised by normal people without the extra glamor for just one day, consumers would see this truth behind advertising. In addition to this, if the public could realize that advertising is only something to get one’s attention and not an accurate portrayal of how one should look, there would be fewer problems. Until either is accomplished, the negative effects will continue to be felt by the …show more content…
It was a drug designed for obese individuals, but due to glamorous advertising techniques used by the manufacturers, individuals who were only slightly overweight began using the drug. Many of the people who used the drug inappropriately experienced pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease, and neurotoxicity (Redux). Other drugs, such as steroids, have been widely proven to cause stunted growth, shrinkage of the testes, and brain cancer. Many student athletes, mainly men, use these performance enhancers in an attempt to become more muscular. The problem is also present in females, as some women use them as diet pills and laxatives. The abuse of steroids is a result of the young person’s desire to look and perform as well as the athletes shown in the media, as well as inaccurate advertising of the drugs