We all know that the media is a huge part of our society. It's all around us - television, movies, magazines, newspapers, ads on the street, etc. Media tends to focus on people, it sets today's trends, and we tend to live our lives through them by shaping ourselves to look or be that way. These people are represented as icons;Things that we should be living up to. Actors and actresses are constantly scrutinized by how they look physically, what they wear, and what they're doing from day to day. The ideal beautiful person in the media is tall, thin but fit, wrinkle-less, and well endowed (usually from plastic surgery).
These characteristics shape our society to idolize what we could potentially have. We want to have bodies just like the stars because they are praised. This ultimately forces us to become obsessed with our looks, and sometimes people go as far as plastic surgery or injections to look better and/or younger. Without the media, most of our society wouldn't go to these extremes just to make ourselves look better, but because we idolize these people, we want people to idolize us, too.
While the media usually praises these people for the way they look, they also spend a lot of time scrutinizing the stars and models. As soon as someone gains a little bit of weight, they're all on them with negative things to say. This is the same for when they don't wear makeup or wear comfy clothes in public. This, again, comes back to us, and makes us self conscious about how we look in public or if we aren't rail-thin.
Modeling is a big part of the media in magazines and in other ads. Women models have to be tall and very skinny, which usually is a size 0 or smaller. If you aren't near that size, you're considered a plus size model, which isn't even that large! Male models have to be built, with six-pack abs and great arms. This just shows what the media views as perfect, and many women, again, try to be this perfect. Naturally, this causes eating disorders and low self-esteem if you don't possess these qualities.
Unfortunately, the media is really hurting our society when it comes to how we should look. Rather than being individualistic, we naturally look to the stars to see how we should act and how we should look. With the increase in media through the increase in technology, this idolization will probably only increase.
Unfortunately, I agree with the fact that as technology continues to advance, the media will just have more efficient outlets to brainwash the public of the "perfect mold." The media makes the average person feel inadequate, as if they need major self-improvement, which isn't the case at all. If the media didn't idolize celebrities, the general public would no longer idolize them either.
ReplyDeleteI also agree.. I think it's a sad thing that we as a society do not portray beautiful as something that is attainable for all people. And I also agree that with advances in technology, it is easier for media to get their product out in mass quantities. Most of us now have the media at our fingertips at all times with smartphones and whatnot.
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